Yooooooo so at the end of the last post I honestly was not sure how this semester would pan out.
BUT. By the grace of God I'm STILL set to graduate in May. Woop Woop!
As it turns out, the department cancelled the Intermediate Pilates class and sent email notification a day before the tuition payment deadline. Mind you, all this is happening over Christmas break. #1 Who is checking their student email over the break?? Not me. #2 Who is checking their student email??? Also, not me.
Hope
So anyway, the woman who'd assisted me at the Bursar's office beamed with confidence as she exhorted me, "Well, now just you need to check with your advisor to see what classes you can take, because you ARE graduating in May." I felt grateful tears welling up as I let out a weak and unconvincing, "PERIOOODT" in response. I hadn't realized til then that I'd lowkey gotten discouraged. I left her feeling a couple feet taller.
Hope...Deferred
The next day, I talked to my advisor about possibly getting into the Intermediate Yoga class (it also could satisfy the last 2 elective hours). First of all, I did not take Beginning Yoga so this was a bit of a long shot. However, after corresponding with my advisor, the instructor allowed me permission to override the prerequisite. YES!!! Registered for the class and immediately perused the entire syllabus (something I almost never do). All was well and good until I got to the verrrrry last page. At the end of the extra resources she'd listed were links for the Ashtanga Yoga opening chant. *STRONG side eye* Hol up, wayment (wait a minute)....umm what exactly are we doing here?? So, I clicked on the link...(with the sound off mind you) and essentially it alluded to worshiping a Hindu deity.
Huh?? So I did a quick search to see if Yoga is in any way occultic because sis listen, I do not have time. God has already redeemed me from seemingly innocent stuff like astrology and New Age mysticism. I was not about to walk back into a yoke. My heart sunk as I read about yoga's true and original spiritual purpose. From the course syllabus itself and other internet articles that corroborated it, it was clear that I couldn't in good conscience take the course.**
My heart sank once again. Yall I ain't eem gon lie (I'm not even going to lie), I was not trying to take more than one class, nor did I want a class that required unnecessary work. What to do, what to do?? In my quiet time with the Lord, I got something so simple: "Relax, sleep on it." BUT GOD, the deadline to register late is like tomorrow! I have to hurry! But nah, in my spirit I knew my efforts would be fruitless. (That didn't stop me from still stressing and striving to search for classes 😅)
Hope Restored
Mannnn the next day, when I tell you God made it so obvious and so clear?? I chose a morning Self Defense class and Beginning Volleyball for the afternoon. Both were on Tuesday/Thursday so I could still be involved with the campus ministry on Wednesday mornings. And on TOP of that, both of them ended well before the time I needed to pick my daughter up from school.
HALLELU!! Don't you know the Pilates class I originally chose conflicted with Eden's schedule? While I'm grateful to my friends who have watched Eden when I had evening and late afternoon classes, that was one thing I did not want to stress about this semester. I would have had to either arrange for someone to pick her up from school or scramble to pick her up early and drop her off with someone.
Thank GOD it didn't work out exactly the way I planned it!! 🙌🏾🙌🏾
Isaiah 26:7 NLT
But for those who are righteous,
the way is not steep and rough
You are a God who does what is right
and You smooth out the path ahead of them.
**I did not link any sources as I no longer have access to the files in the course. But I definitely do encourage you to search for yourself the origins of Yoga and come to your own conclusions.