As I progress through the Search and Call process I’ve
started calling comparing it to E-Harmony. (Although, really, I’ve never been
on a dating website because Cory and I met and married just when those sites
started to gather momentum.) Not long ago I had a phone interview with a church
quite some distance from where I live now. I was just as excited, jittery, and
nervous and felt just as awkward as I remember first dates being. It’s tough to
interview over the phone. So much is lost in translation—so much communication
depends upon unspoken expression. This process has of course got me thinking
about how best to represent myself—but also how to do that in the most
authentic way possible. How much of my quirky humor do I let shine through? Was
I too confident? Not confident enough? Where is the line between being sure of
myself and hubris? (Cory likes to tease-kindof-that I am not overburdened with
humbleness).
Many years ago the first Senior Minister I worked with, Jan,
made an offhand comment to someone about how one had to have a strong ego to be
a minister. At the time I didn’t really understand, but that has stuck with me
through the years—and really we do have to have a strong sense of self. A
strong sense of who and where God is calling us to be and the strength of
character to follow through with that call.
I think about my character a lot these days. As in, what are
my best traits, my worst (groan). Just a couple of days ago I sought advice
from my last senior minister and mentor, Gary, who suggested that each
interview and contact in the search and call process is an opportunity to learn
something about both myself and my call. I am trying to fully embrace this
process…as awkward and exciting as it can be. I imagine this is just the
beginning of the potential ups and downs of this process. And I continue I try
to remember to ask… ‘what am I learning’…instead of ‘where am I going.’
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