Breathing Meaning into Life
Many a times, I have heard people talk about how to find the right career for you. One that seems to stand out, is the idea of finding something that feels as natural as breathing. Maybe it is overly optimistic or a romanticized notion, but I love the idea of going to work every day and getting to do what I was made to do. Work doesn't seem quite so much like "work" when you are doing what you're passionate about.
A big part of Seminary, and starting the Candidacy process in the United Methodist Church centers around discerning your call. And it truly is a process, as even since starting this journey in August, God has shaped my understanding of my call. What is even more exciting is all the small ways God shows up and reveals Himself to me. There are moments of fear and doubt sometimes, but oh how sweet are the moments when you realize you are becoming more of the person you are created to be.
Any time I share my undergrad background with people who know I'm in Seminary, I get some raised eyebrows, or just general looks of confusion. Let's just say, not many people with exercise science degrees and math minors end up in a Master of Divinity program..... But, with that being said, where I come from just means that I bring a really interesting perspective to the table. The reason I even stumbled across Candler School of Theology was because of their faith and health certificate and dual degree ties with the Rollins School of Public Health. In my opinion, true health and wholeness, have to hold our physical, spiritual, and emotional healths together. That is why I can't imagine just pursuing a career in exercise science; because I can't imagine trying to promote physical well-being without making faith the foundation of it.
With all of this being said, the niche where I see God uniting my passion and my purpose is in hospital chaplaincy. The more I pray, reflect, and study, the more I see how chaplaincy in a hospital context seems to embody my ideals. Hospital chaplains acknowledge the fact that even though patients and their families might be there to address an immediate physical concern, there are other forces at work that need care. Illness, cancer, birth, death, dialysis, organ transplant, and so many other things that bring people to the hospital affect so much more than our physical bodies. I think anyone who has experienced any illness, or walked with someone through one can testify to the truth of this idea.
In my pastoral ethics class this week, we had a guest speaker who talked about pastoral ethics in a healthcare setting and it. was. phenomenal! It isn't every week that you are nerding-out in your seat, in your last class, late on a Thursday afternoon. But, that class was such an encouragement, and a moment when my passion starting to come out. Talking about the role of pastors in a healthcare setting made me so unbelievably excited about the future I hope to have as a hospital chaplain. Hospitals remind me of my vulnerability, and of the frailty of life. But in reminding me of these heavy realities, it also reminds me of the importance of telling the people in your life how much they mean to you, and for telling people they are loved and they matter. Being present with people in that place of intense chaos, uncertainty, and tension is something that feels as natural as breathing, and like-wise, just as worthwhile and life-giving.
A big part of Seminary, and starting the Candidacy process in the United Methodist Church centers around discerning your call. And it truly is a process, as even since starting this journey in August, God has shaped my understanding of my call. What is even more exciting is all the small ways God shows up and reveals Himself to me. There are moments of fear and doubt sometimes, but oh how sweet are the moments when you realize you are becoming more of the person you are created to be.
Any time I share my undergrad background with people who know I'm in Seminary, I get some raised eyebrows, or just general looks of confusion. Let's just say, not many people with exercise science degrees and math minors end up in a Master of Divinity program..... But, with that being said, where I come from just means that I bring a really interesting perspective to the table. The reason I even stumbled across Candler School of Theology was because of their faith and health certificate and dual degree ties with the Rollins School of Public Health. In my opinion, true health and wholeness, have to hold our physical, spiritual, and emotional healths together. That is why I can't imagine just pursuing a career in exercise science; because I can't imagine trying to promote physical well-being without making faith the foundation of it.
With all of this being said, the niche where I see God uniting my passion and my purpose is in hospital chaplaincy. The more I pray, reflect, and study, the more I see how chaplaincy in a hospital context seems to embody my ideals. Hospital chaplains acknowledge the fact that even though patients and their families might be there to address an immediate physical concern, there are other forces at work that need care. Illness, cancer, birth, death, dialysis, organ transplant, and so many other things that bring people to the hospital affect so much more than our physical bodies. I think anyone who has experienced any illness, or walked with someone through one can testify to the truth of this idea.
In my pastoral ethics class this week, we had a guest speaker who talked about pastoral ethics in a healthcare setting and it. was. phenomenal! It isn't every week that you are nerding-out in your seat, in your last class, late on a Thursday afternoon. But, that class was such an encouragement, and a moment when my passion starting to come out. Talking about the role of pastors in a healthcare setting made me so unbelievably excited about the future I hope to have as a hospital chaplain. Hospitals remind me of my vulnerability, and of the frailty of life. But in reminding me of these heavy realities, it also reminds me of the importance of telling the people in your life how much they mean to you, and for telling people they are loved and they matter. Being present with people in that place of intense chaos, uncertainty, and tension is something that feels as natural as breathing, and like-wise, just as worthwhile and life-giving.
Comments
Post a Comment