Well, I have to come on here (this poor, neglected blog) and tell you dear readers a little something.
No, really. I'm not an undeclared anymore. It's not that I declared for the simple fact that I hated indecision. I declared because I think I (finally) figured out what I want to do with my life. I declared a major since I believe that this path will be wonderful regardless of my primary vocation.
"But wait!" You cry, anxious to help, "You said you were going to be a theology teacher! You were for sure and certain! You said that was where God was calling you to!" And you'd be right. I thought for sure that God wanted me in the high school classroom, teaching the Church's dogmas to high school kids. I still think I would be great at that, with God's help. Yet a theology degree typically means a Catholic/private college education. And right now, it doesn't seem as if God has that in the works for me at this time in my life. I'm trying to not bang on a door that God has closed for the time being only because I know that right around the corner is a beautiful open door that I can just run through and know He's got a plan.
Believe it or not, I do want to be a stay-at-home, typical homeschool mom with all my babies lined up in the pew on Sunday morning. I know, right? Who would've guessed? With that feeling to such a vocation, I can't in good conscious accrue $80,000 worth of Catholic college debt and still want to stay at home with my kids and not work to help my family pay that off.
When I was in my future Theology teacher kick, I asked around among my friends in attempts to find a good Theology teacher to shadow for the day. When I inquired who was the best to follow around at our local Catholic high school, I was given two names. I asked why those names were given, and I was greeted with laughter, since "Well, they're really great Theology teachers...and they're about the only Catholic ones there." Wait...what?! You mean to tell me that at a Catholic private high school, out of all the Theology teachers present, only TWO of them are actually Catholic? Lo and behold, it was true.
So, if that was true, it isn't completely necessary to have a degree in Catholic Theology to teach high school level courses in that subject. Quite the opposite, really. You didn't even have to be a Catholic to teach Catholic theology. This was an eye-opening discovery though. If you didn't have to belong to the faith you were teaching about, this means that I still have my "dream job" without the hefty degree price tag from the "dream college." I could major in history, and then go into a teaching job that emphasizes Church history and theology at a private school. Or I could become a history teacher and work my way into a Theology teaching position.
You have no idea how much this has changed my outlook. At the beginning of the semester, I was positive that my current school was just a step on the way to my "dream college." I just had to put in my time here for general education credits and then I could be on to my ultimate goal. I could then drive off to my Catholic college and make all my Catholic friends and run into my future Catholic husband. This wasn't necessarily true, though. With the realization that the degree I so desired was not even a necessity, I have been able to completely change my outlook on my current school. I feel like I'm free to enjoy it, to make friends, to get involved. To realize that if God is wanting to introduce a certain person into my life at the right place and the right time, than He'll find a way to work around the fact that I'm not surrounded by Catholics.
So, that's the update for the day. Let me know what you think / advice about the situation in the comment box below.
Thanks for all the prayers...God bless!
Chloe M.
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