yet again.

The past several months have been a continual lesson in learning that God’s timing is perfect.  Absolutely perfect.

And so, although I was surprised when I learned the following story this past week, should I really have been?  I mean, really?

First, I should tell you that I recently began my journey as a graduate student in USC’s Occupational Therapy program.

Next, I should define something for you.  Many of you who are reading this probably wonder, What exactly IS occupational therapy? It’s a common question with a complex and ever growing answer.  My short answer is that an “occupation” is any activity in which a person engages that is meaningful to him or her, and so occupational therapists are problem solvers who help those people to become independent in whatever occupation they want to thrive in.  It could be helping someone create an office environment that is ergonomically friendly to his body so that he can thrive in his occupation as “employee.”  It could be teaching someone with arthritis how to modify her movements and engage in movement-specific hand and postural strengthening exercises so that she can continue to engage in her occupation as “gardener.”  It could be working with a stroke victim who has become paralyzed on one side of the body, teaching her muscular and behavioral compensatory strategies for engaging in activities of daily living (ADL’s), including how to use adaptive equipment that will help with things such as dressing, showering, cooking, driving, etc., so that she can take part in her occupation as “independent participant in everyday life.”  It could be playing with shaving cream, markers, scooter boards, swings, spin boards, and more, in an effort to teach children with autism to integrate the disorganized sensory perceptions that their bodies often experience, allowing them (with TONS of practice and support from therapists, parents, and teachers alike) to thrive in their occupation as “student/child/sibling.”  And the list goes on.  See what I mean?  The answers to what does an OT actually do? are complex and ever growing.  OT’s do anything and everything.

Lastly, I should fill you in on the “Centennial Vision” of the AOTA (American Occupational Therapy Association), the national governing body for OT.  In 2017, the AOTA will turn one hundred years old, hence, the Centennial Vision:

We envision that occupational therapy is a powerful, widely recognized, science-drive, and evidence-based profession with a globally connected and diverse workforce meeting society’s occupational needs.

It’s a big vision, yes?  And in order for it to come to fruition, the profession needs to be made up of people who are driven enough and talented enough to make it happen.

Okay, so back to the way in which God’s timing is perfect.

While in conversation on campus last week, I learned that this year’s entering class (the one I’m in) is supposed to be one of the most powerful and dynamic entering classes that we’ve had in a while.  Why?  Because they wanted people who would embody the Vision and do everything they could to make it happen.  And you know who they thought would be great at that?

Athletes.

To put it frankly, Have you ever met an athlete who didn’t want to win?

OT’s are commonly some of the nicest people you’ve ever met, and coupled with that, they tend to also be some of the most encouraging and helpful.  But, usually, they also tend to not want the glory or the attention or to “make waves.”

Athletes want to make waves.

And athletes who want to be OT’s are like a double whammy.

That’s me.

[I should step aside for a moment and say that in any field, especially in OT, diversity is a key to the success of the profession.  And so there need to be OT's who are amazing at what they do and who are happy to do what they do and gain satisfaction from knowing they have helped another person.  And then there also need to be OT's who are amazing at what they do and who gain satisfaction from knowing they have helped another person, but who also want to push the envelope and make positive changes in the field that can have a widespread impact on how OT interacts with other sectors such as education, government, public policy, law, social welfare, etc.  It's like micro- and macro-OT's, and you need both for the field to have the greatest positive impact on people's lives.]

So, how exactly does this all relate to God’s timing being perfect?

Well, it took me a year after graduation to discover occupational therapy and kick around the idea that it was something that I wanted to do.  It took me another year of OT-related experience and research to really decide that I wanted to do it.  And then it took me another year of going back to community college to fulfill my pre-requisites in order to be able to apply to OT school.  Every so often, I would get mad at myself for taking so long to “figure out what I want to do with my life,” and I would also get mad at God for taking so long to “show me what I’m supposed to do with my life.”

But now?  After learning about this year’s emphasis on admitting OT students who have been athletes (among other things, of course…remember what I said before about the importance of diversity in OT’s) – individuals who possess a competitive streak, who are driven to succeed, who are likely to take roles of leadership, and who are not afraid to push the envelope – can I really ever digress into being upset with God about how long it took me to get here?  Because now…this year out of all years that I could have applied to and been admitted into OT school…now, I am surrounded with a class of powerful people, many of whom eagerly buy into the Centennial Vision and want to be a part of it, nay, want to be a part of making it even bigger as they become advocates for and leaders in our powerful and diverse profession of occupational therapy.

So I reiterate my point.  God is faithful.  He knows me.  And His timing is perfect.  Yet again.