Then and Now – The Diversity of God’s Call on my Life

If I had known back then what I know now, then would have been much easier. One of the highlights of each year back then, was spending a week, sometimes two weeks at Palacios Baptist Encampment on the Texas Gulf Coast.  It was there that I first sensed God’s call on my life and responded positively.  It was also there that I began to switch my response to negative.  Back then, if you were called to the ministry, the options were limited.  That call meant you were either going to be a Pastor, a Minister of Music or a Missionary.  My Dad was my Pastor, and as much as I loved him and respected him, I had no desire to be him.  Each week at Palacios there was a guest missionary speaker who always tried to impress us by using some of their foreign language on us.  I knew, or at least believed, that I could never learn a foreign language (Later confirmed by my grades in Greek and Hebrew).  As far as music was concerned, well let’s just say I felt God would have to be desperately in need of musicians to call me to that.  So, I had to start trying to figure out what God was calling me to do, so as to assist Him in the process. That process puts major stress on teenage life. I spent many a night talking to God like, “God how about this, missionary to major league baseball.”  Later, I discovered Psalm 2:4, “God who sits in the heavens, laughs . . .”  If I had only known the multiple dimensions of my future.  Of course, had I known all of it back then, I probably would have jumped in the Gulf of Mexico and swam east. Looking back, I have been so greatly blessed with the diversity of God’s call on my life – Pastor, Collegiate Minister, Bible Instructor, Interim Pastor, Missionary, Seminary Professor, Consultant, Author, Chair of Prayer Occupant, National Prayer Committee Participant, Guest Teacher, Etc.  Wow! No wonder, I’m tired.