God's Will

Yesterday, we worked on the house, getting it ready for the market.  As many of  you know, my family and I are moving to Abilene so that I can finish my schooling full-time.  I will be entering the Master of Divinity program at Abilene's Graduate School of Theology. 

For the past few years Sara and I have been thinking, praying and dreaming about what would be next.  Would we stay in Columbus working for The Chattahoochee Valley Church?  Would we go on to graduate school?  Would I take a position at another congregation preaching?  Will I teach?

As far as pastoring/teaching, I respect the job enough to know that the responsibility is something that I don't want to take lightly.  I believe that I need more time for maturing and preparation.  Seminary seems like a logical next step.  I am already taking courses at Harding School of Theology in Memphis and I love it.  Since leaving academia in 2007, I realized just how much I enjoy the academic setting and how much I love learning and studying scripture.  I was taking 1 class a semester and hoping to gradually finish my degree.  I felt blessed that I was working for a church that I love, and they were paying for my education.

Then the recession hit.  Our congregation, like many others, had to tighten the belt quite a bit, and naturally, continuing education was a luxury that was cut back significantly.  I was the one to offer my continuing education as a budget cut.  I knew that many things had to happen after 2008, and I wanted to do what was best for my congregation.  But after three years of little financial support and having to pay my own way, I went from 3 classes to one class a year.

My desire to continue my education never waned so we began to pray.  At this point I was still thinking of how I can continue part-time and work as a minister.  Was it time to ask my congregation again for an addition to the budget?  Should I take another position that had the budget to afford my schooling (I never felt great about this)?  Could I go full-time?  If I went full-time, how would I support my family?  The full-time option seemed bleak.  So we prayed for God to make school, in some capacity, available to us.

Last September we took a trip to Wichita to visit Sara's family.  One afternoon Sara, Lewis and I met Sara's father for lunch at Chipotle.  While we were there, we ran into old friends of Sara's family.  As Sara and her father were catching up with their friends, Lewis and I found a table and got settled.  Sara came to me and told me that Richard wanted to talk to me.  Richard was a youth minister for many years and heard that I was working on my degree at a snails pace.  He then informed me that he had a sizable scholarship endowment through Abilene Christian, and if I wanted to go back to school full-time, he would take care of that.

Stunned, I walked back to the table to eat lunch.  After telling Sara what had happened, she felt strongly that God had spoken to us.  It seemed so clear.  Could it be coincidence that while we were in Wichita, we ran into Richard (who, by the way, don't even live in Wichita and was just in town to visit someone in the hospital), who happened to be in charge of a sizable scholarship endowment?  Later, Richard told me that he had felt guilty that he had been in charge of the endowment for 28 years (my age) and hadn't used up the money.

After prayer, it seemed clear that God had opened a door.  Is it the right one to take?  It might be easy for me to say that because of everything that happened at Chipotle, it is a sign from God that He wants me to move to Abilene, but here's the deal.  I wanted to go back to school.  I often thought about it and talked about it with others.  I have passionately looked for opportunities to go.  Don't misunderstand me.  I feel that God was at work in this.  I believe he is giving me this opportunity.

Let me give you another story.  My wife was all set to move to Italy to be a missionary for two years before she and I began dating.  She raised quite a bit of money for her mission.  As her trip drew nearer, her thoughts of leaving me for two years became more difficult.  Our relationship was serious enough that we contemplated and planned an engagement before she was to leave.  Near the end of the fall semester (she was to leave that January), Sara was so torn on what she was to do.  She felt strongly about her mission.  She had studied, prepared and felt that God had led her to this decision.  Then I came along and threw a wrench in the works!  How was she supposed to know what God's will was for her?

Jesus prayed for God's will to be done on "earth as in heaven," and Sara and I were serious about doing what was right, and most importantly, what God wanted.  There seemed to be two doors in front of us – Sara moving to Italy or staying state side and getting married.  After prayer and counsel, Sara decided to stay and we were married that next May. 

If you have two doors in front of you which do you choose?  What is your rational?  For us we came to the conclusion that the Lord's will was that we serve him and put him first regardless which door we choose to walk through.  Because I believe God gives us the freedom of choice (a whole other topic for discussion), we felt like he was saying, "Here are your options – choose one and glorify me."

So as I reflect again on a major family decision to move to Abilene, I think upon the two doors.   I don't know if I have the answer for this question.  Honestly, I am interested to hear what you think?  Does God have a specific path he wills us to take?  When you are praying for direction, how do you know when he answers, or if he answers?