My debriefing counselor called it "ambiguous loss." But I love metaphors. So that's what I'm calling this season: When Your Credits Don't Transfer. You've heard of the frustration the loss of credits can cause, maybe even experienced it yourself. When you invest time, energy, money, and more into a university and you gain a wealth of knowledge and life experience, but then you transfer to another university. And they don't see your credits as valuable. What they're working toward isn't what you've been working towards. And you're left with all these seemingly worthless credits.
I think about this quote from Gloria in the show Modern Family. She's Colombian and tired of having to translate from Spanish to English in every conversation, and wants to be able to speak to someone in her own language in her own home. She finally yells "do you even know how smart I am in Spanish?" While I am definitely NOT that smart in Spanish, I think the concept still applies. She's frustrated that her life experience isn't appreciated in the world that she's living in, and she's tired of being misunderstood because of it. I spent the majority of my 20s living in another country, and coming back to Texas, I feel super behind. I have credits - spiritual/emotional, professional, cultural - that haven't all transferred back. I'm not sure how to get "credit" for them in a world that seems to follow a clear-cut, linear timeline. North American, Jesus-following believers, we MUST stop affirming life only by one trajectory of events. College degrees, careers, marriage, promotions, vacation plans, birth / adoption of children, a new house, a new car, the remodeling of said house....etc. These are ALL blessings that should be celebrated, but they cannot be the only things we celebrate. After all, while he was on this earth, Jesus experienced almost none of the things we celebrate today, and you know he probably wanted to scream "do you even know how worshipped and recognized I am in heaven!?!?" Just kidding, he was too humble for that. He knew his "heaven-credits" would never transfer.
I think that's why he went after the poor, the broken, marginalized outsiders. Because he knew they didn't fit in in this world. That's so comforting to me when I look at the injustice in our world. We are citizens of heaven and our earthly credits won't transfer to our eternal home.
So let's celebrate those whose credits aren't seeming to transfer. Let's ask them what life credits they have earned and what pieces of himself God has given them through it. He always gives us something:
“Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.
Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
“Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you."
- Matthew 5
