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I didn't think that the adjustment would hit me so hard.
No ministry.
Nothing in sight.
No church to attend.
Very few friends left in the area, and none currently available.
No income.
No prospects for a date.
I'll refrain from posting anything else. I need silence and solitude so I can think life through right now.
posted by Sterling at
12:21 AM
2 Comments:
It sounds like you're experiencing something similar to what I experienced after I finished grad school; it took over eight months before I got my first teaching job after that.
Sterf, trust me, you were not given your talents for preaching just to have them lay dormant forever. Given all the work your instructors were having you do while you got your Masters, I think this could be a message that you need to take some time for yourself here, to relax and enjoy yourself before starting to tend to a ministry full-time (which I'm sure will consume nearly all of your time once you statrt).
If you don't want to rest, you can always engage in more research. Didn't you say you had a couple of book projects you wanted to work on? It sounds like this would be a good time to get going on those.
If all else fails, the fact that you have a graduate degree now means that you can teach undergraduate courses. I assume there must be Christian colleges in North Carolina (there are plenty in Ohio), and you could probably get part-time work teaching introductory classes there in the fall. I realize it's not quite the "youth ministry" you have in mind, but trust me, teaching is incredibly rewarding work.
You are not a failure, Sterf; you have achieved a level of success with your academic studies that few people ever reach. That doesn't mean that the world's going to fall at your feet asking for your talents, though; that's going to take some work, and more importantly, time. Have some patience with yourself, and try to enjoy this little break as best you can. You've certainly earned it.
May 25, 2008 12:09 PM
I think that dude got it.
May 26, 2008 10:26 AM
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