It is a bit odd that at this time of renewal...at least in most general sense of the word, Adam and I have lots of decisions that will need to be made. We have been looking at a job change and waiting on some answers in order to know what to do next. This is an exciting time, but also quite stressful. I have been trying to pack things that we just don't use on a regular basis...pictures and movies and decorations and some linens and things. Christmas ornaments and such have been added to this list, as Christmas time is over and we will hopefully be somewhere else before another Christmas comes our way. I am slowly filling up one room with all the things that are being boxed up and it is a bit of a hassle to have them there. I know that I will appreciate having done the little bit that I have done when the time comes to put the house on the market and move and all, but for now, it is just a bit inconvenient.
The past 18 months have been full of lots of growth for us. We chose to change where we were worshipping and attend another congregation of less than 1/10 the size that we were attending so that Adam could be more involved ministry-wise and get his foot in the door, so to speak. It has been hard on us all, and more than a little frustrating, and yet full of good for us too. It has helped us to know more of what we will look for in the future as far as what kind of church we would want to join. It has helped us in lots of ways, and leaving these church members will be hard on us and them too, we are sure.
Being at this stage where we know that a change has to be made is calling us to look and make sure that we are making a choice that we should be making. There are several choices that could be made right now and several of them are really hard. This job that Adam is looking at would not move us immediately into the ministry. It would actually lead us away, as he would be under a poor schedule for attending services on a regular basis. However, it would lead to a greater family life for us all and bring up an opportunity to return to school and finish his ministry degree. A finished degree would ultimately be a good step towards finding a church to work with full-time in the future, or possibly getting a job as an AET and working in a loosely missionary-type job overseas somewhere.
We are probably going to be putting out some resumes. Mostly for churches that at least in the description of what they are looking for, don't mention that the applicant "will have a degree" or "at least 5 years experience". I can understand why they would want to make sure that an applicant does have those things, but it sure is frustrating and just sits poorly with my idea of the early preachers and teachers of the gospel. Maybe we haven't really been looking at this option enough, but I feel like God is leading us to at least put in a good effort to move towards a full time ministry position. Maybe it took really looking at a job change of another type to get us to this place...or maybe we are just focusing on the wrong things and trying to help God out to much and not trusting Him to put us where He wants us to be.
Sometimes the hardest thing is knowing what God is saying. We know what we have been called to do, in the most general of ways, but knowing in what way we are to fulfill such a calling is another thing all together. It is harder yet to choose a path to follow when they all seem to lead to a Godly end. I find myself wondering if Jesus would tell me what he told the rich young man in Matthew 19:21 "....go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." or if I would receive an answer more along the lines given in Mark 5:19 "...Go home to your family and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you." I feel like I would love to settle down in one place for the rest of my life and have a "home place", and yet that seems so silly. THIS is Not my home. It never will be. And yet, I can see the good that can come from staying in one place and living the gospel in your daily life in your one place. I can see how that could be good for your family and for your hometown and for the church in that area. And yet, every time I hear about missionaries and church planters and ministers (who more than likely will move from one church to another several times in their "career"), I am intrigued. I can just imagine the wonderful fulfillment and joy and good that comes from sharing the gospel in "far off" places. Of raising children in a non-westernized, non-americanized church and how much that would be a freeing thing for them to not have God placed in the boxes that our culture tends to put Him in. I am not quite naive enough to think that that sort of life would be easy, but it certainly isn't bad. And I think it would be freeing to not be tied down to this world by possessions and to live in a way that you have to depend on God and his people to provide for your needs...it certainly would be a different way to live than the way that I live right now.
The past 18 months have been full of lots of growth for us. We chose to change where we were worshipping and attend another congregation of less than 1/10 the size that we were attending so that Adam could be more involved ministry-wise and get his foot in the door, so to speak. It has been hard on us all, and more than a little frustrating, and yet full of good for us too. It has helped us to know more of what we will look for in the future as far as what kind of church we would want to join. It has helped us in lots of ways, and leaving these church members will be hard on us and them too, we are sure.
Being at this stage where we know that a change has to be made is calling us to look and make sure that we are making a choice that we should be making. There are several choices that could be made right now and several of them are really hard. This job that Adam is looking at would not move us immediately into the ministry. It would actually lead us away, as he would be under a poor schedule for attending services on a regular basis. However, it would lead to a greater family life for us all and bring up an opportunity to return to school and finish his ministry degree. A finished degree would ultimately be a good step towards finding a church to work with full-time in the future, or possibly getting a job as an AET and working in a loosely missionary-type job overseas somewhere.
We are probably going to be putting out some resumes. Mostly for churches that at least in the description of what they are looking for, don't mention that the applicant "will have a degree" or "at least 5 years experience". I can understand why they would want to make sure that an applicant does have those things, but it sure is frustrating and just sits poorly with my idea of the early preachers and teachers of the gospel. Maybe we haven't really been looking at this option enough, but I feel like God is leading us to at least put in a good effort to move towards a full time ministry position. Maybe it took really looking at a job change of another type to get us to this place...or maybe we are just focusing on the wrong things and trying to help God out to much and not trusting Him to put us where He wants us to be.
Sometimes the hardest thing is knowing what God is saying. We know what we have been called to do, in the most general of ways, but knowing in what way we are to fulfill such a calling is another thing all together. It is harder yet to choose a path to follow when they all seem to lead to a Godly end. I find myself wondering if Jesus would tell me what he told the rich young man in Matthew 19:21 "....go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." or if I would receive an answer more along the lines given in Mark 5:19 "...Go home to your family and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you." I feel like I would love to settle down in one place for the rest of my life and have a "home place", and yet that seems so silly. THIS is Not my home. It never will be. And yet, I can see the good that can come from staying in one place and living the gospel in your daily life in your one place. I can see how that could be good for your family and for your hometown and for the church in that area. And yet, every time I hear about missionaries and church planters and ministers (who more than likely will move from one church to another several times in their "career"), I am intrigued. I can just imagine the wonderful fulfillment and joy and good that comes from sharing the gospel in "far off" places. Of raising children in a non-westernized, non-americanized church and how much that would be a freeing thing for them to not have God placed in the boxes that our culture tends to put Him in. I am not quite naive enough to think that that sort of life would be easy, but it certainly isn't bad. And I think it would be freeing to not be tied down to this world by possessions and to live in a way that you have to depend on God and his people to provide for your needs...it certainly would be a different way to live than the way that I live right now.
1 Comments:
You may find this surprising, but I too am intrigued by the idea of some type of mission work with no worries for the possessions of this world. As I'm getting older, I'm finding that "stuff" just isn't as important as I used to think it was. Not that I don't dream of that dream house from time to time.....I'm only human!
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