transition

The word "transition" came up yet again in a discussion over the weekend. Verily, my cup has runneth over with transitions during the past 18 months. These transitions didn't have the decency to space themselves out; instead, I have been forced to deal with multiple transitions simultaneously. Yet, I have determined that transition is not a dirty word.

In the transition discussion this weekend, a wise woman who has been experiencing her own cavalcade of change observed that she has come to view each transition as an opportunity. I concur. Often, transitional periods are times marked by grief, but they can also be times of great growth. I have learned to look for the new thing God is trying to teach me in each transition, and I try to trace His activity in my life as I recall how He has prepared me to face a given change. Transitions are clearly teachable moments, and I know from firsthand experience "that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope" (Romans 5:3-4).

Baptist women in ministry

Yesterday I was in a meeting that featured a lively discussion about Baptist women in ministry. These folks were all enthusiastic supporters of Baptist women in ministry, so we spent a fair amount of time considering all the reasons that women - from young women fresh out of seminary to more "mature" women who have been called to ministry later in life - have difficulty finding positions on church staffs, particularly pastorates.

Two fathers among the group spoke eloquently about their desire for their daughters to understand that God can indeed call them to serve as pastors. A college professor noted that fathers of female collegiate athletes provided much of the impetus for achieving parity among men's and women's sports when they began to speak out about the inequities they had observed.

The best story, however, came from a minister who serves in East Tennessee. She recalled the time when her church was searching for a pastor, and some folks made the argument that the congregation shouldn't consider a female candidate since the church's other two staff members were women. One member actually had the audacity to say, "We can't hire a woman as pastor because then we would have an all-female staff!" Imagine that - a single gender staff in a Baptist church. Who has ever seen the likes of such a thing?

walk and pray

The single biggest challenge I have faced in the two weeks that have elapsed since Paul and I moved Chaney into his dorm room at the University of Tennessee has been rhythmic in nature. After spending nearly 19 years building my life around my son's schedule, I suddenly had the opportunity to develop a new rhythm of daily life. In recent days I have relished the opportunity to renew my commitment to walk regularly at Radnor Lake, a practice I had abandoned in the summer due to three student ministry trips and a family vacation.

Radnor Lake is my sanctuary - the place where I sense God's presence most acutely. As I have walked down Otter Creek Road along the lake's southern shoreline recently, my mind has drifted back to the countless prayers I have uttered in this park in years past. I remember when I began to pray regularly for the Class of 2009 at my church - back when these students were still in middle school - and I recall many of the specific requests that I lifted up day after day on their behalf. As these students begin their freshman year of college, I am overwhelmed with gratitude to God for the myriad of ways He answered all those prayers.

"Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know" (Jeremiah 33:3). I have so much more to learn. Confident that God hears my prayers, I will continue to walk and pray.