God has a way of leading us down new paths in life that were before unexpected and yet greater than what we could’ve asked or imagined.
I recall years ago when I had started my own solo law practice after working as an associate attorney at another law office. After I had gotten settled into my own practice I started to realize that it was best suited for my personality and general attitude to be on my own without anyone supervising me (or me supervising anyone else) or my having to learn to work with others as a team etc etc. I have shared in the past that admittedly I grew up socially awkward and lacked the normal social skills most people take for granted. And so with my law practice I felt I had found true balance of an occupation that fit my loner personality. I felt at the time, and still do, that it’s a sign of maturity for one to admit and acknowledge one’s strengths and limitations.
However, that whole self-reflection occurred well before I had a calling to go to seminary. Flash forward to 2010, when I was in my second year of seminary and was about to start serving at NCFC as an associate pastor. I had a mini anxiety attack once I realized that gee, after I had already settled the matter in my head that I was better off working alone without being supervised or being subject to annual job reviews or having to learn to work well with others and so on and so forth, that serving at church would require me to be supervised, subject to annual job reviews and having to work with others!
God seems to have an ironic sense of humor when He throws us these little curveballs in life. I have said all along that I would’ve been perfectly content living out my life as I had once known it to be as a husband, father and law practitioner. But if God hadn’t intervened and saved me from my dysfunctional self I wouldn’t have experienced the joys in my relationships as a father, husband and brother in Christ. I feel these types of profound changes can only come from God.
My calling to serve at NCFC is even different than what I had originally expected. I felt I had a lot to learn under the leadership and guidance of Pastor Jamie and Dr. Kim. And yet now I realize that God is the one in control of our growth and maturity not any particular person. In fact I’m convinced God can use any one of us within this ministry to teach and to learn from. So there’s a sense of eager anticipation as to what God will be doing at our church in future times. As for my general anti-social tendencies it’s been an ongoing process. I feel I still have much to learn in the ministry about leadership and people. But thank God for His patience and grace to allow us to strive to be a relevant ministry. amen to that.
From Pastor Mark’s Heart
October 6, 2013