Back to College - University of Minnesota

Today was the first official visit to a college my son David is considering. The Institute of Technology at University of Minnesota - Twin Cities hosted this event. There were hundreds of students and parents there considering the college with primarily engineering degrees.

David does great in math and sciences and had an excellent ACT score. I am proud of him for many reasons. But I hesitate to brag about him because he seeks to remain humble. And I respect that. Know that he is one of my heroes.

The gathering today included a lot of smart people. As the program went on I thought from time to time of how I could have chosen certain majors. For some reason or other I did not consider engineering much, even though a friend went down to Milwaukee School of Engineering. Engineering includes math, physics, and technology.

But more than that, much of engineering is designing things that change the world. Some possibilities include dams, bridges, medical devices, heating and cooling systems, more efficient engines, water treatment systems, and new devices and systems that benefit people in some way. In ways we seldom consider, our lives have benefited from the work of engineers. Engineers designed the keyboard and mouse I am using right now.

So? Why should I care? Part of what I saw today was people celebrating who they are. Some may call them nerds or geeks. But they are also people with potential for significant things.

And so are you. Celebrate who you are. The recent teaching series at The House has included talk about seeds and fruitfulness. If you are a peach tree, produce that kind of fruit. If you are a coconut tree, produce that kind of fruit. Don't be jealous of others skills and giftings and personalities. Embrace who you are and be fruitful. Produce fruit from the seed you were designed to be. That is when you are most fruitful and effective.

Some of the engineers and potential engineers have embraced their unique skill set. Have you embraced and celebrated who you are?