Ah, the Irony.

So, in my last entry I was going on about how God likes to use the weak of the world to shame the strong--about how God likes to do a lot with a little, rather than a lot with a lot (like in Judges 7). And then, I was sent information on the amount of stipend paid to assistants who live in a L'Arche community. Now, don't get me wrong, I can live quite simply and don't really need a lot of material things to get by. And I think it's good that the resources of the community are used well, and not to support lavish spending habits. But let's just say this amount was about half of what I expected it to be. Ouch.

It's not about having the money, it's about the fact that when I leave seminary I will have almost 12K in debt. And that is hardly anything for a masters degree from a private institution--it's a steal. My church helped me out a lot for my 2nd and 3rd year, and I didn't have to take out any loans during them. That was an incredible blessing for which I am grateful. But the fact remains that I don't really see how I will even be able to pay my student loans with the amount of money I will get working in a L'Arche community.

I guess this is the part where faith comes in. Where I am invited to trust that God always equips me for where God has called me. I am sure that God will make a way, but I guess I was just not aware of what a difficulty it would be. I can be hopelessly impractical sometimes.