I graduated from high school in 1964. That's just to give you a frame of reference. :)
When I was in the eighth grade everyone had to take a "Career Inventory." I remember the counselor was a young woman (she must have been really young if, as a teenager, I remember her as young!) who had to give us all the test and then tell us one at a time what it said we should do with our lives. Mine said I would like to be a preacher.
I laughed and laughed. Women weren't preachers! Not in that time or in that place. And besides, my parents didn't even go to church. My sister and I went but that wasn't like families that all went to church together. At least in my mind. I said, "no thanks, I'm going to be a newspaper reporter." Not sure why I picked that but there you have it.
This weekend my pastor's wife and another friend and I were talking in the ladies room after church - all kinds of things are discussed in there you know - and she told our friend that I was "going to the mission field." I'm sure my head whipped around and my mouth fell open. The mission field? I'm going to the mission field? No, no, no. I'm just going on a mission trip. Granted I'll be gone for four months but the mission field, no way, not me. Then it dawned on me. I'm..going..to..the..mission..field. That's a scary thing! I don't go till June so I have a good long time to build up my "what if's." Thank goodness I'm not going out of the country or that "what if's" list might be a mile long! What if our house sitter(s) can't do it? What if my mail gets all mixed up and I don't get some bills? What if I don't take enough sewing with me? What if I don't have time to sew? What if I have to get my hair cut and it's 8 hours back here to my hairdresser? What if I hate the bed, the temperature, the town, the work, the.... Oh my, I'm working myself into a dither.
I'm not sure where all that came from! I'm just writing because I think it's really ironic that in the eighth grade my counselor said I should be a preacher and at 63 I'm going to the mission field. Do you think God might have been pointing a certain direction out to me then and I ignored Him? I'm guilty of ignoring Him way too often but in this case I don't think so. I can't see me being a preacher - oh I like to talk that's true. But when it comes to making a point, not so much. However, that whole newspaper reporter thing, isn't that what I'm doing on this blog? So there.
I graduated in l956 and my test showed mechanic. I can't figure out anything resembling mechanical. I would rather be a horse trainer. Well I have and am doing that. At least when you don't have to wade knee deep to get to the barn.
ReplyDeleteLife is about who you are in your heart, and who's life you will touch, not what you can or will do. I love you, my friend! You have touched my life and made a big impact.
ReplyDeletebe blessed,
Michelle
Where are you going? That is exciting and funny. You have been a preacher all along. What's that quote about, "If necessary, use words."? God just didn't call you to earn your living that way.
ReplyDeleteHey, I don't know if it would help, but did you know there is a new post editor available? It's under settings on the first tab (general) at the bottom. Might be worth a try.
We may not stand up in front of an audience, but in many ways aren't we all preachers of the Gospel.
ReplyDeleteI graduated in 1966, and I was supposed to be a mortician. Go figure!!!!
Every one of us is on a mission field of some sort. It may be within our own home, neighborhood, church, country or across the world. We all have the ability to witness to or influence others through our actions and words, sometimes more than actual preachers do. Just be yourself and you will make a huge impact. Your writing sure has in my life. God Bless you for making a 4 month committment, especially in the deep south in the summertime! I always come away very blessed and incredibly in awe of our amazing God and how He works.
ReplyDeleteAmazing how some things come to our lives when we never expected them to. My career test was something that I don't remember. All I remember is that I really wanted to be a doctor but girls weren't being doctors so I decided to be a nurse. When I met with my counselor - a rather 'strange' man - he laughed. Out loud! And he said NEVER in a million years would I be able to be a nurse. Said my math scores weren't strong enough and I didn't have enough math background to be able to get into Chemistry class in high school and if I didn't do Chemistry in HS I could not possibly be a nurse. Couldn't make it into nursing school much less make it through! So much for positive influence. He scoffed and made me feel horrible. He told me to be a secretary or something like that. I went to college and proved him wrong about the good grades but never pursued my dream. When the kids were little my sweetheart urged me to go back to school to get my nursing degree. Then an accident injured my back and I knew I couldn't do it - so where am I now? I'm a chaplain in care centers, hospital setting and with Hospice. Caring and loving and touching the hearts and lives of people in tough situations. I love it and I'm so glad I can do that instead of caring for their medical needs. And my neighbor who is a nurse told me I would have hated Chemistry!
ReplyDelete~Adrienne~
I remember that "test". One of the things I was supposed to be suitable for was a TV repairman. Do you know how much I hate messing with electronics???? If I disconnect two cables, I can't get them back into the right place to save my life!
ReplyDeleteI think that the mission field is wherever we are, but I would be the same as you to leave home.....who will take care of things! I am sure you will have it all worked out by the time you leave.
ReplyDeleteI love you, my friend! You have touched my life and made a big impact.
ReplyDeleteWork from home India