Gold Stars

On Thursday, I earned a gold star (a metaphorical gold star) for correctly solving a story problem using algebraic expressions.  My friend Mark, who is a teacher, texted a bunch of his friends a picture of the entry task he had his students work on as they started the day.  This story problem starred his wife (Lisa) and her sister (Kerry) and a visit to Chuck E. Cheese, and we had to figure out how many tickets each of these lovely women acquired during their adventure.  It was funny to see the reactions as people replied all to the message.  My friend (and co-worker) Matt tried to solve the problem while we were working, and of course, got it just slightly wrong (because everyone knows you can't do algebra while helping grumpy Friday morning people with their coffee).  I waited til my lunch break and then solved the problem (using a sticky note and some very sketchy math methods), promptly informing Matt that he was incorrect.  Christina simply replied that she wished she could go to Chuck E. Cheese with Lisa and Kerry.  Hours later (because apparently his workplace has terrible cell reception), Kerry's husband Greg replied that the whole problem was set up wrong because Kerry ended up with less tickets than Lisa.  Talking with Mark's parents later that day, his dad solved it in his head after hearing the problem twice and sent in his answer, and his mom told me that it was too bad Mark hadn't replied to my correct answer yet- no positive reinforcement.  I love living in a world of educators!
Yesterday, I think I earned another gold star, and in some sense the need to receive this star is as ridiculous as my desire to be rewarded for correctly completing basic algebra problems.  At Whitworth, we talked a lot about the idea of vocation. I'm sure there's an actual definition out there that I'm supposed to be using, but I tend to just think of it as a calling, something that informs the whole of your life, whether we're talking job or family or church.  As a Whitworth grad, sometimes I feel pressure to have a vocation, or a calling, or something that I can use to easily label myself and focus my future goals.  An application I recently looked at filling out asked me about my calling in ministry.  Someone I was just catching up with asked me the same thing.  And until yesterday, every time I saw that question, it made me a little bit angry and rather defensive.  

"I don't know!  Leave me alone already!  

Can't I be a good person without knowing my vocation!?!?!?!?"  

That sort of thing (I know, I know- surprising, right?  Me, defensive?  No!).  But yesterday, as I was talking with a friend about the idea that keeps lingering in my heart to go to seminary, I said some some things about what I want most out of life and what I want to do most that caused her to say, "Well, sounds like that's your calling then."  We were on a walk, and I pretty much stopped right where I was.  

"What!?!?  I have a calling?  And it's something I've known about myself for a couple of years now?  

How does that work?  Oh wait.  I think that's exactly how it works.  Go figure."  

It was a lovely moment.  And I felt like I earned a gold star.  Which is ridiculous.  Knowing that my calling to be the best Christ-follower I can be has a more specific direction that embraces who I am is maybe a silver star kind of moment.  Gold star will be when I'm living it out well.