My own silly joke stayed in mind. I did on-staff parish work for several years, and in hindsight, I was happiest when I served small rural churches, not dissimilar to this. One day at my first parish, lonely and unsure of myself, I had a moment of surrender to God to lead me along this vocational path if it were God’s will. What happened, instead, was a different path, which included freelance writing of curriculum for Sunday school classes--but the dear folks I knew in that place always inspired me in my heart as I followed that particular ministry.
I’ve known people who regret that they didn't pursue a different vocational path sooner, including those who entered the pastoral ministry in their middle age. If any of us have such struggles, perhaps we should just trust that God has a role in guiding us along our timeline, so to speak. Even as God helped or led us in "this" direction, God is pleased that we were willing to go in “that" direction, too. We build upon the circumstances and experiences of our lives, knowing that God is at work therein (Romans 8:28).
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