Full Circle

 

For the last week I've been reconnecting with my friends in Madison, WI. I walked down familiar streets and sat in familiar places. I talked and laughed with many of those who were a strong support for me while I was living here and abroad, and I also made a lot of new friends in the process. I got to preach last Sunday at Christ Presbyterian Church (my Madison church family) and today I got to sing with them in the contemporary worship team. What a wonderful week I have had!

I shared with my friends about the difficult journey I've been on in these last five years since I started this blog. There have been low points and high points, but I feel like during this trip I felt everything come full circle. While I was here in Madison, I heard the call to ministry, but I was frustrated and lost, not knowing what or where that was meant to be. When I had an injury in my hand, my "Flute" ministry seemed to be at an end. Part of me wondered, what if I had tried harder or what if I hadn't tried so hard(causing my overuse injury)? When I went to the Czech Republic, I was partly testing my call to church ministry. Was I called to serve as Music Director, a Christian Ed Director or as a Pastor, and if a pastor, what would that even look like?

These last five years have been a discovery of my call to pastoral ministry, working with all varieties of God's beloved people. As I look back on it, even if I had not had my injury, I know the position in the Czech Republic would still have drawn me to Polička, and I still would have answered the call to seminary and pastoral ministry. It's always life shattering to loose such a precious gift, but I am seeing now more than ever, that God places gifts in our lives for the time we need and always continues to bring us more gifts, even when others no longer serve their purpose. I always saw my life purpose to bring joy to others and empower them to use their gifts in empower ways for them and those around them. Now, that calling is the same, I'm just playing a different instrument and singing the same song. Stay posted to hear about my upcoming trip to the Czech Republic to reconnect with those friends, sharing with them in the joys of our continued expedition in life.