Work

We've been in Juneau Alaska now for six months (and five days.) We are excited to be here, and excited to see what God has in store for us and through us for this city and region. We've made friends. We've hosted people in our little home. We've had gospel conversations. Even this summer's lack of summer weather has not discouraged us (this first year, at least.)

Deb gets up and goes to work each day. She runs the Career Services office at the University of Alaska Southeast. She is good at what she does. She works hard. One friend has referred to her as my "sugar mama." It's her income that's paying our bills. Meanwhile, I get up each day wondering how to spend my time. I have become a house-husband. I do laundry. I plan dinner. I talk to the dog.

In another one of those "God telling me something" episodes I have sensed I am being told to go out and get a job. I need more to do each day. I need somewhere to go, and people to see. I brought this up with my friend Joe over lunch the other day and he said, "Alaska is a working man's state. You'll gain by having a real job in addition to your pastoral role." I took this as confirmation, if not the voice of God Himself.

So this week I applied with the school district to be a substitute teacher. I applied to be a ticket-taker for the State Ferry System. I spend my days at home now looking at job boards, completing online applications and praying as to what God would have me do. No sales jobs for me this time around. (Nothing worse than a pastor who sells stuff, confusing everyone.) A service job of some kind is a better fit for me, I think.

It may be that Jesus is telling me I need to devote some time to being a missionary before I can settle into being a pastor of missionaries. It may be He's telling me that being bi-vocational is to be my vocation, for a season at least.

And I'm excited about this, excited to have somewhere to go and something to do. I'm excited to be a missionary, and in the mission field.