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Yeah, my spirit’s been on life support, but Jesus is calling me forth.

“As it is written: ‘I have made you a father of many nations.’ He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed—the God who gives life to the dead and calls into being things that were not” (Romans 4:17 NIV).

I have talked about before how God wants us as parents to “call out” of our children who God created them to be. I believe God wants us to speak the potential and greatness in our children. Well, I find myself in a situation where I believe God has strategically placed me so He can call out of me who He’s created me to be. I work at a seminary now, and I’m back in the midst of theologians, scholars and those seeking their place in Kingdom work. It’s actually been very helpful in pulling me out of my spiritual funk. I am still wrestling with the many trials I’ve had to face in the last few years.

However, now God has placed me in the midst of those who constantly speak to who God’s called me to be. In all honesty, I find it rather amusing because I see God’s hand all over my placement in this seminary. Recently, during a chapel service, a minister spoke so powerfully and prophetically that it spoke to many of the issues of my heart. His key message to us was that we have to speak to the dead areas in our lives and prophesy to ourselves every day if that’s what it takes to keep us pressing towards the mark. He preached from the passage of Lazarus’ death and Ezekiel in the field of dry bones. I had to hold back tears because I knew God was talking to me. The title of his message was “Between Life and Death.”

Also, almost every day since I started, one of the student workers asks me a question about ministry or preaching. In the beginning, I looked at her like “Why are you asking me?” One day I did kind of ask her that question. She said “Because you are a preacher and have all of this ministry and church experience.” She said this after she asked for my opinion about her sermon on Job. She wanted to know my thoughts about how to preach about suffering. Are you seeing a connection here? I shared my thoughts with her, but I saw in the moment how my conversations with her were stirring my spirit back up for the things of God and how she and other students and faculty were calling out of me who God wants me to be. It’s like God put me in this place so I wouldn’t shrink back. It’s actually very humbling and encouraging to know that God is not giving up on me even though I feel like throwing in the towel.

I have no idea what God will do with this new assignment, but I’m excited because I feel at home in the seminary, and I finally feel like I’m in a place where I can stay put for a long period of time. I’ve felt like giving up for a long time now, but I can see that God is still working in my life and hasn’t given up on me. I know God will never give up on you either. I hope this knowledge encourages you as it has me.

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