Since my concentration in Counseling is Christian Ministry, I have the privilege of being taught by some great Liberty Seminary Professors. I am currently taking Foundations in Youth Ministry with Dr. David Wheeler, which so far has been about so much more than working with youth. I am pretty quiet in that class at times, but it’s not because I am shy (though I surely am), but because God is usually using this class to deal with something in my heart. Yesterday, during our fourth class session, God surely was dealing with roots of pride, doubt, and insecurities in my feeble being. We were talking about being “spiritually fresh” and Dr. Wheeler challenged us by saying, What is your passion, What is your calling, what drives you to get up in the morning – What brought you here? Everyone in the room had something to say about their calling, whether it be youth, women’s ministry, or to be a pastor. Everyone seemed to have some great profound reason that God brought them to Liberty University. That is, everyone but me! I am still not quite sure why God brought me to LU rather than some of the more elite schools I might have chosen. I know he has given me a love for the undergrad students especially for the other young women, such as those in my dorm prayer group. In addition, everyone seemed to be so sure of their calling. I found myself, asking the Lord why he had not yet given me a specific calling, especially since I was a few years older than most of the rest of my class. I waited for the professor to call on me and knew I would have to say, I do not have a passion beyond knowing that I serve a living, risen Savior. I do not yet know my “specific calling”. I would say, I only know that God has given me a heart for people. That I am committed to serve God wherever I am needed whether it be with youth, children, women, missions, or the elderly. That doesn’t sound so bad, but it seemed like nothing to me as I was comparing that drive God had given me to serve to the profound calling of the other servants and ministers in the room. Dr. Wheeler did not call on me. I believe he saw me wrestling with God for he simply told me at the end of class, “Kat, take care.” I left the room as quickly as I could and took the long route to the bus stop by going around the law school. As I was walking and praying, the words of a familiar praise song came into my head, “Give me one Pure and Holy Passion, Give me One Magnificent Obsession, and Give me One Glorious Ambition for my Life, to know and Follow Hard after you.” I know my one aim in life is to please Christ and live for His glory. It does not make my passion lesser that God has not yet called me to a specific place or ministry or mission. It is from this passion to know and follow hard after Christ Jesus, our Savior that all other eternal passions and a divine calling will follow. It is a grievous sin that I so often find that I compare myself to others. I must make it my aim to grow more intimately with my Savior, following hard after Him as I daily seek Him in the Word, in Prayer, and by serving him wherever He needs me. I am realizing that the Lord does not always call us by some booming, inner voice. Sometimes, as he has done so often in my life, He only shows one step at a time. This was quite a rambling mess as far as my English goes, but I just wanted to share a little of how the Lord is using LU to help conform me more to HIS precious likeness. God bless you all, my precious brothers and sisters.
<>
Kat
The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.
(1Ti 1:5)
No comments:
Post a Comment