Fighting to Stay Alive

It's the hardest thing I've done in all of my college experience. I've spoken with the under ground church in China, I've built homes with my own hands, I've been on the dean's list multiple times, I've held at least two jobs at all times while taking 15-18 hours of classes...the hardest thing I've attempted to do is learn Hebrew, and I have no solid idea as to why I'm finding it so difficult.

My best friend in high school, Ally, is Jewish and would go to Hebrew school every Wednesday. I had no idea that what she was learning over the course of her life, I was going to attempt to learn in one short semester.

You know when your professor send you the syllabus before the previous semester's exams are over that something hard is coming your way. The material itself is actually not that bad. I think if I could spend a week on each lesson I would be a pro by now. We are just moving so fast that I cant get one lesson down before the next one is being thrown at me.

It seems I always study the exact wrong things too. I learned each of the vowels by name but I couldn't tell an "ah" from an "ee." I know ALL of the vocabulary. I dont know how to make words plural, or possessive...

My classmates are all juniors. I'm the oldest person in the class and I'm the one floundering the most. That doesn't help me at all. One of my classmates admitted that he has neglected all of his other classes to focus on this one. I can't exactly do that, being a senior.

I've been so busy working everyday, in my responsibilities with campus ministries, and the rest of my classes. I can't find time to study, much less do my homework.

What sucks the most right now is that it's only going to get worse and we aren't even at midterm yet. Sitting in that classroom makes me ill. I hate that I'm putting myself through this and its not even necessary. It's officially a day too late to drop the class. I'm stuck and I'm drowning in Hebrew somewhere around lesson 5.

Pastor Dan, the previous owner of the Hebrew note cards I bought online, gives me hope. It is painful, but I believe that I can do it, in time...

I've already used the things I'm learning in discussions with others. A friend of mine has a roommate who is not a believer. He asked questions about things like being the son of Adam and Eve. I told him the Hebrew word we translate into son can actually mean descendant too. Having discussions like that one are the reason I'm taking this course.

I pray that God will give me the strength to sit through class every day. I pray He will give me wisdom, not only knowledge of the language of His story, but the ways in which I can use the knowledge He is giving me. I am thankful for people like Pastor Dan, whoever he is, for having gone before me to prove that it can be done.