Transitions and Defining Our Being

How would you define yourself?  By what markers do you create the definition of your being?

Welcome to the pondering of my mind today.

Today has been a day of transition.  At Emmanuel we celebrated baccalaureate worship.  Ten of our seniors joined us and we celebrated their transition from high school into their future.  It also happened to be the marking of a big transition for me as well.  Today was my last day as the Director of Youth and Family Ministry for Emmanuel Lutheran Church.  It's funny how we, so often, define ourselves by what we currently do.  For the graduates they had identified themselves for so long as students of our community high school.  For me, I identify myself as a youth minister.

For years and years I've said . . . I am a wife.  I am a mother.  I am a youth minister.

I've enjoyed identifying myself in that manner.  It's been very fitting.  It is what I've been called to be.  The only problem now is that . . . I've identified myself in this way and now one part of that is changing.  I am a wife.  I am a mother.  I am a . . . I can no longer say youth minister.  It's only three weeks until I start my new position at Pilgrim Lutheran Church.  However, it's a different position.  I'll be the Minister of Community Life Formation.  (Look for other blog posts about that.  It's going to take me a bit to figure out exactly what all that means!)  I can no longer identify myself as doing specifically youth ministry.  Now many of you may tell me that it's not that big of a change.  I'm still working for a congregation doing ministry.  However, it's a huge change of focus for me.  It's a huge change of direction for me.  For the past sixteen years I've lived, breathed, walked and spoken "youth ministry."  Now, I am making a big transition.  Don't get me wrong, I am extraordinarily excited about this new direction.  I am beyond anxious to dig into what Community Life Ministry means and what it looks like.  However, for just a moment I am hesitant.  It is a step away from the familiar.  It is a new path with new joys and new challenges.

So for now I'm in a struggle to figure out how to redefine my being.

I think I'll take a lesson from the youth ministry that I have done for so long.  I have always told the children and youth . . . "if you don't remember anything else I have ever taught you remember this, YOU are a loved child of God."  The youth heard this with every confirmation lesson, with every devotion and every youth group meeting.  I seriously ingrained this in their brains :)  Now it's time for me to listen.  As I ponder how to define my being I think I'll start with . . .

I am a loved child of God.

I am a wife.

I am a mother.

 . . . I think I'll figure out the rest along the way.