Praising Him in the Hall

Last summer, while I was living with my dad in Southeast Texas, I had the privilege of preaching every week for my friends at the West Orange Christian Church. There was a poster in a hallway in their building that said, “While you’re waiting for God to open a door, praise Him in the Hall.”

Good advice.

For the past several months, I have been looking for a ministry job. You’d think it wouldn’t be that hard – after all, I keep hearing about a nationwide shortage of pastors. And I’m not hard to please. All I want is the opportunity to work with a local church, preach and teach the scripture every week, and make a living to support myself and my family.

Unfortunately, whether it’s because of my “advanced” age – I’ll be 62 in a few months – or because I don’t neatly “fit in” to a traditional denomination, or some other reason, I’m not hearing anything back from the numerous applications and resumes that I’m sending out. And I’m talking a LOT of applications. It’s very discouraging. And certainly, very depressing.

Meanwhile, I still like to eat, and I still have bills to pay, so I’ve had to go back to a career that I thought I had left in my past – retail sales. I’m working at the Mall of Abilene, at J.C. Penney’s. I like Penney’s, and I especially like the heritage of the store’s history. When Mr. James Cash Penney first opened his store in Kemmerer, Wyoming, it was part of a chain known as the “Golden Rule Store.” It’s good work, I like serving customers, and I’m enjoying getting to know my co-workers. As one of the oldest “sales associates” on the floor, I’m finding that my background and experience in sales give me a different perspective on the meaning of “customer service.” And I’m enjoying that, too.

Make no mistake: I still want to return to a full-time job as a minister, to be part of the team at a missions organization, or to do some other kind of work specifically for the Kingdom of God. At the same time, I don’t want to make the mistake of thinking that I’ll serve God “later,” or to fail to see the ways I can serve Him, and others, now.

The Bible class I get to teach at our church remains a rewarding, fulfilling part of every week, as does the Sunday night Bible study I share with several good friends. And the opportunities to witness and minister at my everyday job are becoming more and more precious to me.

Whether it’s a kind word, a listening ear, or a Christian example, I’m rediscovering lots of ways to live out my faith in the “secular” workplace. So while I am more than ready for God to open the right door for a full-time ministry position, He is teaching me, by His grace, to praise Him in the hall.

Starting Over

Hi. It’s been a while, but I’m back. Thanks for being here.

As some of you know, I haven’t posted anything in a while; in fact, I haven’t posted anything new since I returned to Abilene, following the flooding of Hurricane Harvey. To be honest, I was feeling so overwhelmed by circumstances that I was unsure of how to proceed.

Back in mid-October, I went to work for Glenn & Carol Dromgoole at Texas Star Trading Company in downtown Abilene. They are wonderful people, and I really enjoyed working there, even though it was only a seasonal job. But because it WAS a seasonal job, that position ended once we got past Christmas and the annual inventory.

Meanwhile, dad remains in a nursing home in Lewisville while the Orangefield house is being rebuilt. My brothers Jimmy & David – along with lots of volunteers and some INCREDIBLY generous help from some of our cousins – have made great progress on the house, but it’s still probably going to be March or April before it will be ready. And since I can’t afford to twiddle my thumbs until then, I’m back on the job market.

Anybody have a good opening for a 60-something pastor?

I’ve been doing a lot of praying lately, and a lot of soul-searching, for what kind of job I want, and I’ve reached an obvious decision: I feel like God is leading me back into full-time ministry; I just don’t know where. So I have been polishing up my resume, and searching for open church opportunities. I am firmly convinced that if this is, in fact, what God has in mind for us, He will open the right door.

Meanwhile, if you’re interested in it, here’s my resume.

I would love to stay in West Texas – Kathy & I both really like living here, and we have so many great friends. But anyone who has been in professional ministry knows that moving to new areas and making new friends is just part of that reality, so we will see.

Meanwhile, God’s words to Joshua keep me going – “Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go” (Josh. 1:9).