As a child, I would find myself sitting by myself talking with God. It didn’t matter if it was a good day or a bad day. I thought all people did this – I didn’t think I was different. Several years following high school, I was cleaning my parent’s attic and found my high school journal. Reading it, I realized at least a third of the entries were about God. I now got the sense my personal relationship with God was what God wanted of us, but it wasn’t what most people experienced.
Still, I didn’t think more about it. I continued to serve in many capacities, i.e., choir member, board member, co-founder and director of the church’s nursery school, and I made visitations to nursing homes three out of four weeks. This continued for years.
Advance forward: The pastor left; five of us took turns as lay speakers. My church has called many to be pastors, and I believe it is the loving and encouraging environment they provide. God did bless me with public speaking skills, and He fulfilled me and guided me with each message.
I kept thinking: is God calling me? I wanted confirmation – something like God talking to me through the burning bush 😊 What I received was an undeniable inferno within my heart. My head would doubt and God would send me an answer or a word of encouragement or some other confirmation UNTIL one day I experienced something so profound that I could not or would not deny Him again. I decided to OBEY.
I called our district minister, and he encouraged me to take the ACTs class. No matter where God was calling me, I knew I wanted (and needed) the text education as well as the discussions along with the ministry formation (boots-on-the-ground) discussions and experiences. I am so grateful for that experience.
Soon, my work experience deteriorated. God’s timing was perfect; I had just met the requirements for early retirement; God met my financial needs! The week I turned in my retirement notice, I was called to a church. God provided me with the experiences within my employment for thirty-eight years, and then (in His time), He closed that door and opened another one. In November 2018, I was ordained.
The support, education, encouragement, and experience provided by SVMC was crucial. God is using your ministry to equip some of those He called. Me.
I can’t remember a time when I have been more content or happy.