Over the past several months I’ve been planning and thinking and intending to start blogging here at The Ordinary Times; September 1 always seems like such an appropriate time to start a new venture (I’ll admit I still wish I were a student… I love new semesters and new school years!). Later this year I hope you’ll be here for my return to daily Advent devotionals, but I didn’t want to wait until December to begin writing… something. As I’ve wondered what that “something” might be, one topic has kept coming to mind again and again (yes, I did eventually consider the possibility that may be the Spirit leading… never let it be said I am not a fast learner!).
It’s a subject that is of personal interest to me; and I’ll say, upfront, that I won’t be writing anything, ever, on this blog that is NOT of personal interest to me. My whole purpose here is to share my own journey, and hope and trust that others of you reading this may find some encouragement and companionship along your way as well.
Over the past many years I have gone from being highly motivated and vocation-minded to being “just” (!) a stay-at-home-mom with no career, no paycheck, no payback for my years of education, and no ministry gig in which to live out my ordination. (On the up side, though, no one telling me when I’m allowed a week of vacation! Take that, career world!) I’ve gone from being Rev. Nikki to being Mrs. Chaplain and Kids’ Mom. And yes, I know that being Mrs. and being Mom are both important roles… and I wouldn’t trade them away… but they are not particularly roles that allow me to practice the gifts and leadings I’ve spent years trying to discern and develop.
And my hunch is, we ALL live with that conflict: in all of our lives we choose one path instead of another. We give up one set of travel plans to follow a different itinerary. But one of my seminary professors used to say, “God doesn’t waste resources.” So what about those gifts and leadings that aren’t put into practice on this particular path?
For the next two months, I’ll be blogging here about CALLING. My plan is to write three times weekly, each week focusing on the story of a different Bible character and their calling story. Each week will include posts with reflections about the story itself, reflections about the connection between my (our) life and the story, and prayers/questions/practices for further thought. The series will conclude around Nov. 1 (All Saints’ Day) with a final reflection about the “cloud of witnesses” that surrounds us as we navigate the story of our own callings.
The first post will be Monday, Sept. 5. I hope you’ll come back to read it, add The Ordinary Times to your favorite blog reader, or subscribe to receive posts by email. See you then.
Peace,
Nikki
A Moving Yarn 