First Call: The Unexpected Journey

By now, anyone who is reading this more than likely knows that I have been assigned the Eastern North Dakota synod of the ELCA for my first call. At first I was surprised that the bishops assigned me to this synod because it was not on my preference list that I had submitted! However in further conversations with Bishop Terry Brandt and his staff it soon became more than apparent that he carefully read my profile and thought that Eastern North Dakota could provide the best opportunity to grow as a pastor as well as for Emily and I to flourish as a family. As each day passes I begin to see that my story is much like that of Abraham's in Genesis 12:1-5a. It reads as follows:

Now the Lord said to Abram, "Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you. I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed. So Abram went, as the Lord had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran. Abram took his wife Sarai and his brother's son Lot, and all the possessions that they had gathered...

Indeed I am headed off for a another country, well another state, but I am picking up everything I have and moving it to an unknown place. And joining me on this journey is my wife and canine companion. 

In all honesty the thought of moving is scary, the thought of finding housing is stressful, the thought of finding employment for my wife is overwhelming, and the thought of being done with school takes me aback (I've been in school in some form or another for the past 20 years of my life). All of these things matched with work and finishing up my Master's degree has left me feeling fatigued. Such has been my journey this Lenten season, that of wandering through the wilderness of anxiety and "what if's" knowing that the promised land and gift of life awaits at the end of these forty days. 

And yet I have a strange sense of courage going through this whole process. Sure there are plenty of things I cannot control and cannot foresee, but I am stepping boldly into this call. Above you read that Abraham was called by God to go to a new country because God wanted to make of him a great nation and that through that nation they might be able to bless the entire world. And what did Abraham do? He left. 

So too God is calling me to leave the comforts of my home and close proximity of my family and friends. Emily, Summit, and I will pack up all of our possessions and head for North Dakota. It is our faith that God is blessing us with this new place and new people, it is through our faith that we might be a blessing to them, and it is through our faith that together we all might bless the world. This first first call is unexpected, but it is a journey of faith that we are joyfully entering.

Peace to you all, 

Tom