I have always thought that I was one of the most least likely people to become a pastor. As a matter of fact, it was never on my “Bingo Card” at all. I grew up in a family where Church was not a consideration. My first surprise was when my best friend in high school invited me to attend her church youth group with her. It was a great experience! That led to attending worship. I was surprised at how welcome the congregation made me feel. I was definitely surprised, at the age of 17, to be standing in front of that same congregation being baptized.

 A year later I was surprised that I chose to go to a small Lutheran liberal arts college instead of following my friends to larger institutions. While working on my degree in education, I was surprised by the sense that there was something else tugging at me to focus my energy in a different direction, coupled with a few friends urging me to consider going to seminary (I thought they were crazy!)

I was surprised, after working in my home congregation as the youth director for several years, that I packed up and moved half way across the country to go to seminary. I didn’t really want to be there, but I needed the theological education. The plan was to only be there a couple years while I earned my Master of Arts degree. Imagine my surprise when my classmates encouraged me to stay because they thought I should be a pastor. Maybe it wasn’t so much of a surprise anymore that I did stay and grew into being a pastor.

As I was preparing to enter my first call to a tiny little congregation in a tiny little town in the Nebraska Panhandle, the magnitude of the responsibility of entering the lives of complete strangers to be their pastor was not lost on me. It most certainly came with a noticeable measure of anxiety. In order to assuage my anxiety, the Assistant to the Bishop at the time, offered me three simple words, “Love the people.” I acknowledged that I could do that.

It’s 32 years later, and I look back with wonder at all the places I have been called to be pastor, both rural and urban. Each time I began a new call I remembered those three simple words, “Love the people.” And I would acknowledge anew, that I could do that. I remember with joy all the people who invited me into their lives to accompany them in their journey of faith, to both celebrate with shared laughter and to mourn with shared tears. I noticed that the people loved me too. I am in awe of the connections that have been made in the service of the Church’s mission to make God’s love for all made known in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.

 The challenge that God led me through was the journey itself. The surprise was the fulfillment and joy of the Spirit that I never knew to expect.