I was on a college campus again today and usually follow those visits up with a post directed to students:
It was a cool evening for late August in Western Pennsylvania. I should add that it was a welcome coolness for it had been a wickedly hot summer that taxed the air-conditioning system to the max. John Miller sat on his patio....idly looking off in the distance as neighbors passed by walking their dogs....while a few bicyclists sped by in multi-colored shirts and helmets....hunched over on their racing bikes....and an occasional cardinal or wren landed for a moment on the white handrail before spotting a perch that was more interesting. Nate thought it an unusual sight. His father was often if not always out on the patio but he was either reading or writing something or at least listening to talk radio.
Nate: Hey dad. What's up? (Nate noticed that it took his dad about a second for his head to turn. Now a second may not be much time but it was a second that wasn't usually there.)
Mr. Miller: Nate! Oh...I was just sitting here thinking.
Nate had a good idea what his dad was thinking about. The two of them had spent a lot of time together over the past year travelling to college campuses. His dad dropped all of his other interests and directed his full attention to this college quest. It would ultimately be Nate's choice on where to matriculate but Mr. Miller did tell him from the get-go that he did reserve the right to veto any school where there were some serious problems. For example...if there was no good church nearby where the gospel of Jesus Christ was preached every week then the college would get the veto. One particular school was binked after Mr. Miller read one copy of the student newspaper because there was far too much sexual innuendo in it. And on yet another, the two of them had travelled 300 miles for a campus visit to an elite school. They were five minutes into the tour when Mr. Miller asked the young guide what the college policy was for girls in a boy's room. The young student guide quickly answered with...."Three days." Nate's dad asked what 'three days' meant and the answer was that a girl could not stay in a boy's room for more than three days for then she would have to be considered a resident. Nothing was said. Nothing had to be said....bink!
Nate: Tomorrows the big day. (he knew that the big day....(Nate's leaving for the college that was his first choice)...was probably on his dad's mind.)
Mr. Miller: Yeah (Nate looked at his dad, for he almost never spoke in one word sentences. He walked out onto the patio and pulled up a chair next to his him)
Nate: Dad...in a nutshell....any thoughts on how I should schedule my days or anything? (after asking this he knew immediately that his dad never said anything...in a nutshell)
Mr. Miller: In a nutshell? No....no thoughts....in a nutshell. (they both laughed) Son....OK.....I'll give the nutshell method a try. Maybe it will help. (Mr. Miller looked over at the same male cardinal that had returned....thinking as he took in the wonderful color of one of God's feathered creatures....he looked back to Nate.)
Mr. Miller: Nate...incorporate!. Incorporate quality Bible time into your daily schedule no matter how hard the engineering courses are. Look at it this way....you're going off for four years to read God's Word....and taking some engineering courses to fill in the time. (they both laughed again) Incorporate some current events reading also. Either that or when ....Lord Willing....you graduate....you won't know what's going on in America and your discernment on the news will have atrophied. And divest....
Nate: Divest?
Mr. Miller: Incorporate and divest Nate. Find a pastime or a sport that can calm you amidst what is going on in the world....and divest yourself of anything that you may enjoy now that might in some way divert you from God's plan for you. (Nate took it all in and did not say anything, for he knew that his dad would let him know when he was done.)
Mr. Miller: One last think son.....sharpen.
Nate: Sharpen?
Mr. Miller: You're going to make new friends.....good friends.....look for those who know and love Jesus Christ....let them sharpen you....and you in turn sharpen them....that's it.
Nate: Incorporate....divest....and sharpen....got it!
Mr. Miller: Oh, and one more thing....text....text your mom and me regularly. (they both laughed again.)
Nate: Incorporate....divest....sharpen....and text.
Mr. Miller: Now you got it!
It was a cool evening for late August in Western Pennsylvania. I should add that it was a welcome coolness for it had been a wickedly hot summer that taxed the air-conditioning system to the max. John Miller sat on his patio....idly looking off in the distance as neighbors passed by walking their dogs....while a few bicyclists sped by in multi-colored shirts and helmets....hunched over on their racing bikes....and an occasional cardinal or wren landed for a moment on the white handrail before spotting a perch that was more interesting. Nate thought it an unusual sight. His father was often if not always out on the patio but he was either reading or writing something or at least listening to talk radio.
Nate: Hey dad. What's up? (Nate noticed that it took his dad about a second for his head to turn. Now a second may not be much time but it was a second that wasn't usually there.)
Mr. Miller: Nate! Oh...I was just sitting here thinking.
Nate had a good idea what his dad was thinking about. The two of them had spent a lot of time together over the past year travelling to college campuses. His dad dropped all of his other interests and directed his full attention to this college quest. It would ultimately be Nate's choice on where to matriculate but Mr. Miller did tell him from the get-go that he did reserve the right to veto any school where there were some serious problems. For example...if there was no good church nearby where the gospel of Jesus Christ was preached every week then the college would get the veto. One particular school was binked after Mr. Miller read one copy of the student newspaper because there was far too much sexual innuendo in it. And on yet another, the two of them had travelled 300 miles for a campus visit to an elite school. They were five minutes into the tour when Mr. Miller asked the young guide what the college policy was for girls in a boy's room. The young student guide quickly answered with...."Three days." Nate's dad asked what 'three days' meant and the answer was that a girl could not stay in a boy's room for more than three days for then she would have to be considered a resident. Nothing was said. Nothing had to be said....bink!
Nate: Tomorrows the big day. (he knew that the big day....(Nate's leaving for the college that was his first choice)...was probably on his dad's mind.)
Mr. Miller: Yeah (Nate looked at his dad, for he almost never spoke in one word sentences. He walked out onto the patio and pulled up a chair next to his him)
Nate: Dad...in a nutshell....any thoughts on how I should schedule my days or anything? (after asking this he knew immediately that his dad never said anything...in a nutshell)
Mr. Miller: In a nutshell? No....no thoughts....in a nutshell. (they both laughed) Son....OK.....I'll give the nutshell method a try. Maybe it will help. (Mr. Miller looked over at the same male cardinal that had returned....thinking as he took in the wonderful color of one of God's feathered creatures....he looked back to Nate.)
Mr. Miller: Nate...incorporate!. Incorporate quality Bible time into your daily schedule no matter how hard the engineering courses are. Look at it this way....you're going off for four years to read God's Word....and taking some engineering courses to fill in the time. (they both laughed again) Incorporate some current events reading also. Either that or when ....Lord Willing....you graduate....you won't know what's going on in America and your discernment on the news will have atrophied. And divest....
Nate: Divest?
Mr. Miller: Incorporate and divest Nate. Find a pastime or a sport that can calm you amidst what is going on in the world....and divest yourself of anything that you may enjoy now that might in some way divert you from God's plan for you. (Nate took it all in and did not say anything, for he knew that his dad would let him know when he was done.)
Mr. Miller: One last think son.....sharpen.
Nate: Sharpen?
Mr. Miller: You're going to make new friends.....good friends.....look for those who know and love Jesus Christ....let them sharpen you....and you in turn sharpen them....that's it.
Nate: Incorporate....divest....and sharpen....got it!
Mr. Miller: Oh, and one more thing....text....text your mom and me regularly. (they both laughed again.)
Nate: Incorporate....divest....sharpen....and text.
Mr. Miller: Now you got it!
