Due to a fluke of information, I recently found out that I was four credit hours short of graduating. This past January, I took an online course based around my ministry at Crescent Project in order to complete the missing credits. My final project was to write a personal reflection paper that I posted below.
If you had told me a year ago that I would be working as a writer for a ministry to Muslims, I would have laughed, possibly called you crazy behind your back, and not have given it another thought. However, over the past twelve months, I have grown a new understanding, and appreciation, of the phrase, “God works in mysterious ways.” Or rather, perhaps it is more appropriate to say, “God looked at my plans, chuckled, ripped them to tiny little shreds, and revealed the completely unexpected, but far more worthwhile, plan He has.”
Last year, when I began the arduous task of job hunting, I had two goals in mind: to use my writing degree in some form or another, and to move to a bigger city. Indianapolis topped my list since I already had a possible roommate lined up, not an unbearable distance from home and it was a good sized city without being Chicago.
However, as my search progressed, I began to realize that my first goal was going to be far harder to fulfill than I had anticipated. While there wasn’t a particular shortage of jobs in the writing field, none of them appealed to me. While some of them would be at least entertaining, none of them appeared to be satisfying. I wanted my writing skills to be put to use where they would have an impact and not simply be glossed over and useless long-term.
I was whining of my dilemma to a friend when he asked, “Have you ever thought about going into ministry?”
“No. I don’t want to go to Africa.”
He rolled his eyes and pointed out that going to Africa was just one type of ministry.
I don’t know why it never dawned on me that there was more to ministries than serving in third world countries. In fact, my possible roommate in Indianapolis worked as a webmaster for a ministry there. The more I thought and prayed over the idea, the more I began to feel that God was leading me in that direction. It both terrified and thrilled me.
It was a snowy Sunday when God introduced me to the ministry He wanted me to serve with. Since our pastor was on sabbatical, I had made arrangements to visit my friend’s church that week. When I looked out the window and saw that we had more than just a dusting of snow, I cancelled my plans and jumped into the back of my parent’s SUV. It would be a lot safer to ride with them, then try to skid my way across town to a different church.
That morning, the founder of Crescent Project stood behind the pulpit and delivered a powerful message about the need of reaching out to Muslims in our community. His sermon struck a powerful chord in my heart that I wasn’t expecting, and that afternoon I went on their website to learn more about the training offered. I couldn’t help but notice that they were headquartered in Indianapolis and felt a strange leap of excitement in my stomach.
Then I couldn’t help but notice the button in the corner of the site that said staff opportunities. Clicking it, the third one listed proclaimed a need for a staff writer. I couldn’t believe it, had God worked that fast? Of course He did, He was God. I wasted little time applying for the position.
Since being hired, its been an amazing, although nerve racking at times, journey. I have discovered the wonders of support raising and gone through the gamut of emotions that come along with it. I have seen the hand of God working in my life, and I have unveiled the lies of Satan desperately trying to discourage me.
When I was young, I knew God had blessed me with an ability to craft words and string them into coherent (and sometimes entertaining) sentences. It was a raw talent that took years of hard work to hone into a marketable skill I could use in the workplace. While I never imagined I would wind up in ministry, I am ever grateful that God lead me to a place where I could use His blessings for the only worthwhile endeavor: His glory.
