Our Weekly Devotionals are created by our staff and members to inspire reflections and conversation.
My Unsung Hero
The NPR podcast Hidden Brain has a short segment called “My Unsung Hero”. It features people telling the stories of kindnesses that they received and their gratitude for the compassionate acts that made all the difference for them. I’m often touched by these stories, which highlight how a small moment of generosity or thoughtfulness that costs a person so little can be so meaningful to those who receive it. It’s inspired me to think back on who in my life I could consider an unsung hero, and I’ve reflected on the teachers and mentors who shaped me, and the way their support helped me see what was possible for myself.
Growth
Today I wrapped up the final day of my training as a psychologist. It’s been just over eight years since I started this journey, and this whole week has felt surreal. As I had my last sessions with patients that I’ve worked with over the past year, cleared out my office, and met with a clinical supervisor for the last time as a trainee, it seemed both mundane and momentous. My next step is to work as independently licensed psychologist, and perhaps the reality will sink in as I begin that work.
Potential
About five months ago, I was offered my first job as a fully-fledged psychologist. I was thrilled; applying, interviewing, and negotiating were nerve-wracking, and I was relieved to have secured a stable job after nearly 8 years of training. The next months included various bureaucratic forms and requirements which were both annoying and reassuring. The job was mine.
And then, three days into my honeymoon, I received a foreboding email, asking for a meeting with the head of the department and myself. Unwilling to spend the rest of my vacation in dreadful anticipation, I took the call from my hotel room. Bad news – budget issues. They can’t hire me after all.
Commitment
Usually, I struggle to know what to write for a devotional. But as I write this one, my wedding is a week away. It’s an obvious choice to reflect on the nature of the commitment I am preparing to make. And I have been—in the few moments between work and wedding planning and life—thinking about what it is to promise another person my devotion and love for the rest of my days on this earth.
Commitment
It’s dark when my alarm goes off these days; even when I hit snooze. The sun doesn’t brighten the sky much before 7 AM, and the clouds can cover it all day. So, my longstanding goal of waking up earlier is facing some big obstacles.
Control
This Thursday, my commute home was over twice the normal amount of time—it took 10 minutes to even leave the parking garage. There was an NFL game, the president was in town, and there were major accidents on the highway. As I looked for openings in between cars and tried to maneuver the fastest, most efficient route, I started thinking about control. What we can and can’t control, and how efforts to control the uncontrollable end up controlling us. (I know—it’s a tongue twister.)
Camping
Recently, I went camping for perhaps the first time in 15 years. Leading up to the trip, I was excited to enjoy the outdoors and get a break from my normal routine. When I researched camping supplies, the images online looked so peaceful and scenic.
Then, we arrived at the campsite.
Moments of Joy
It was an “easy run,” the kind where I run as slow as necessary to keep my heartrate down. I ignored the pain that started gradually in my right foot midway through the run. It was only later that evening that the pain became sharp and demanded my attention. Over the next few days, I agonized about whether or how to keep training for the race I’d sign up for at the end of June.
Lessons Learned
When I started my graduate program, I had a vision for my career: get my degree, publish research papers, become recognized in my field. Along the way, I did the clinical training required for my degree, but I remained convinced that I wanted a research career. It not only seemed interesting, but more prestigious and respected.
Grace and Gratitude
This winter in Chicago has been gray—the sky permanently overcast, with feeble light, the color of weak tea filtering into my apartment. The sun sets as early at 4pm in mid-December, and even now, sunset is before 5pm. The effects of so little daylight vary person-to-person, but I am one of those who feels sluggish, loses motivation, and generally struggles to get things done.
Beautiful. Sacred. Holy.
Beautiful. Sacred. Holy. The words popped up in my mind, and a moment later, I realized I was hearing a trumpet playing a gentle melody as I walked with my dog back from the park. At first the sound seemed unearthly, with no physical source. But as I walked past the edge of Chinatown Square, I could see the man playing the trumpet as he has many days this fall.
Anchors
“Hello Handsome Mr. Kitty!” “Here’s your breakfast sweetie!” “Do you want to go for a walk sweet girl?”
These are the phrases that tumbled from my lips countless times over the past few weeks, as I fed, walked, and cared for my cat and my dog.
Transitions
May is upon us, and with it the month of graduations, Mother’s Day and abundant blossoms. Graduations in particular are salient for me. I’m approaching the end of my graduate degree, and I’ve begun to reflect on the end of this chapter and what will become the beginning of the next one.
A Promise of a Future
February is the worst month. Mid-winter, no major celebrations to look forward to, and Christmas and New Year’s already distant feeling memories.