Life Different Than Expected?

How Has Life turned out Differently than You Expected?

That is a tough question for me because I cannot recall or identify what  expectations I might have had for my life???   I know that I hoped that I would someday be married.  If married, I assumed that I would have children.   I did not have very many role models of professional women--- other than being a teacher, so I planned to be just that---an English teacher.   And so I was.  I taught both 11th grade and 9th grade for a number of years, but I was ill prepared, really, and very young and inexperienced.  Those were not my best years.

What I DO recall that I definitely did NOT expect to be is a minister, a pastor, or a clergy-person.   That is something that came much later.  Early in my life, there was not one thought in my mind of following that path.  Women were not yet even allowed in the pulpit, even if I had wanted to do that.

I did not relish many of the characteristics of being the "pastor's family", which came with ridiculous expectations, against which I rebelled.   I was supposed to be well dressed at all times.  I was supposed to be well behaved at all times, always thinking about the pastor's image.  We always had to worry about what other people were thinking.  I hated hated that!  I still hate that.

Since our lifestyle as pastor's family was supported by the financial gifts of others, we had to make sure that we did not buy a car, or clothes that were too fancy.  We could not leave the lights on all night and run up the electric bill.  We actually lived in someone else's house, even though that someone else was the church.

The pastor's family was at the mercy of the greater church as in the United Methodist Church,  pastors were "deployed", not unlike the military.  One did not get to choose when or where a move might take place.

By the time I was in my early 40's,  all that changed.  After experiencing a very profound experience of "being called",  I interpreted that to mean that I would be a local pastor,  which did not require moving, or many of the other expectations.  I did want to attend seminary, so I would be well educated,  but I never expected to be ordained, which I was eventually.

In time, I submitted to all of that,  although I always wanted to live in my own home, rather than the parsonage  (house owned by the church).   I never found that comfortable at any point in my ministry.  It was different when I was the minister,  and in some ways, much worse.  House maintenance was done by committee.  And the committee was not always agreeable.

But all of that aside,  I never expected to be considered an outstanding preacher,  a person who affected other people's lives.  I never imagined that I would be called "talented", or that I would be a key figure in the community.

 I never in a million years would have imagined how much I love preaching.   Actually,  that is something that has developed even more keenly in my retirement years.   I never expected that either!