Changing of Manna and Ministry

The Old Testament word for “Manna” means, “what is it?”  No one has proven beyond a doubt what exactly manna was, except that it was God’s provision for His children given on a daily basis (Deuteronomy 8:1-16; Exodus 15:4-15; John 6:31).  With somewhat of a sweet tongue in cheek, I decided that it might have been donuts, and thus for many years I have pictured  “Dr. Dan’s Monday Morning Manna” as me eating a donut in a Tim Horton’s Coffee Shop in Vancouver, B.C., Canada.  Times change.  Partly due to the COVID-related closing of the Canadian border and partly due to personal and family health issues, my  visits to Vancouver have ended.  The year before I was born, Thomas Wolfe wrote a popular novel entitled, “You Can’t Go Home Again.”  I suppose that’s true, but while you can’t go home again, you can go through home again.  Upon graduation from Seminary, my first full time ministerial position (after two part-time student pastorates) was in Edinburg, Texas, near the Mexican border.  It was home for six years.  Some of the best friends we’ve had in our married life, we met during the six years we lived in the Rio Grande Valley.  Our first child was born during those years.  I was the Baptist Student Minister and Bible Instructor at Pan American University (now U.T. Rio Grande Valley). We loved the Rio Grande Valley of Texas, and when we left, we left part of our heart behind.  Last week, we went through home again, visiting familiar places and having fellowship with both long-time friends and new friends.  The week concluded on Friday night with me accepting a new ministry.  I am now the Administrative Consultant for the Valley Baptist Missions Education Center.  We will continue to live in Fort Worth, and I will continue to be Senior Professor at Southwestern Baptist Seminary. Rather than trips to Vancouver, I will make frequent trips to the Rio Grande Valley.  So, after many miles, and multiple experiences, God has led me back home where I began. Gloria a Dios!