"Slow and steady wins the race" or "How did we get here?'

I've been thinking for a while of sharing how we got into this mess called to prepare for full-time ministry, but the more I think about it the more boring it sounds; yet it keeps coming to mind so I'll begin and you can delete if you like.  I'm actually a little tired of hearing about it myself and just thinking about the whole scenario makes me want to eat something bad for me and take a nap. 

20 years ago (yes, I said 20) when Mr. Grits and I were kids and dating, he often said he'd love to be a youth pastor,  to which I would laugh and say something along the lines of, "You are SO funny!"  But what I really meant was, "I can't be married to someone in the ministry because they are always poor and smell funny and are so desperately out of style and always have long hair and wear jumpers and tennis shoes and are SO not cool and besides... I'd have to SHARE you and I want you all to myself."  Especially that last part.  Sharing him was not my idea of a good time. 

So we did get married.  Then grew up.  We graduated from college.  He, with a business degree.  I got my worthless sheepskin.  He "re-upped" for about 3 weeks of the MBA program before he decided he was SO over school.  So he took a job "back home" and he's been with the same company since graduation.  When we got settled in our first little home, before we started having children (contrary to popular belief I was NOT pregnant when we got married at 18 and 20.  But that's a whole story for another day!) we decided it was time we found our own church-- not our parents' churches that we'd grown up in, but one we could develop our own identity in.  We had grown up in independent, Baptist-type churches but a friend from high school and my former college roommate's parents lived near where our new home was and asked us to go visit their church. 

Well, that's all fine and dandy... but THAT church?  It's Presbyterian.  And we don't DO Presbyterian, because everyone knows they believe in PREDESTINATION and INFANT BAPTISM.  But to be nice, and to get them off our backs, we'll go once.   We were a little freaked out driving up the hill to the church.  What are we doing?  Will it be weird?  Will they have weird rituals and stuff that will corrupt us?  Chanting and kneeling and stuff?  We had our "closed door" faces on as we entered.  Don't worry too much about being friendly with us, folks, we're just here for today and you'll never see us again. 

Or so we thought...

(To be continued....!)

Comments

[kent]

OOOHHH~~~~Don't make us wait for the rest!

[ANdrea]

OK I thought you said this story was boring...I'm on the edge of my seat!
So go ahead, we're ready for part 2 NOW!!!!

[Heidi]

Yeah...I've never seen a 'to be continued' blog...you know how to get your readers to keep comin' back for more! Can't wait for the update!!

[Gayle]

The best laid plans...

[Amanda]

I'll be coming back for sure to read the second half!!

[Regge]

Love your story!

[Wendy]

Don't make me wait! As a "recovering Baptist" ha ha....I'm dying to hear the rest of this story. TELL it TELL it!!!!!

[Lynda]

Me too, I was always a Baptist. Everyone knows that one of the 10 commandments are.Thou shall not drink. Oh to be free!!!I can't wait to hear the rest.

[caroline]

That same lady that invited you prepared me to "Please welcome a sweet little couple coming in a few weeks." I still remember where we were when I met you. I was so excited for another young couple....there wasn't many then.

I know your going to say that you stayed because of the Friendly faces that bombarded you that first week! ;-)