Work, Job Update and Ride Musings

I wish I could say that my work week was over, but I get to work my first weekend starting tomorrow. Tonight was the first time I've closed at the shop in almost a month and the pace was a bit hectic. We did a lot of bike tube changes in the last three hours and Lane and I were both kind of scrambling to stay on top of things.

On the job front: I still haven't heard from one of the churches that I was expecting to hear from by now. I did a phone interview almost two weeks ago and was expecting to know something on Monday or Tuesday at the latest, but no word as yet. If I had to guess (which I suppose I do), I would say that I am not their #1 choice, but they are waiting to hear something from other prospects before cutting me loose. Not the end of the world, but I would love to at least have an idea of where I stand.

As I rode this morning before work, I had a few things that I was pondering. I spent a good portion of the first part of the ride wondering if vocational ministry is my promised land or my Egypt. This isn't the first time the thought has occurred to me. I feel as though I've been wandering in the desert for the last year and recognize that there have been thoughts of "returning to Egypt", or at least thoughts of what things would be like had we never left Marion, IN (not that Marion is Egypt in the Israelite/Exodus story sense, but it's the metaphor we're working with).

I really have a heart for the local church and have been excited about the possibility of getting back into vocational ministry, but is it the easy way out, or is it what God placed me in the desert for? A year ago I still loved the local church, but was looking forward to stepping away to experience something different. Now I sort of see it as a life line. It is the one thing that I am undeniably qualified to do. It is also one of the few vocations that I really enjoy the thought of doing. I enjoy the bike shop, but I know it's not going to be a career for me. It is a seasonal thing to pay the bills. Whether that season is a few months, a few years or longer is unclear to me. I'll enjoy it while it lasts.

I didn't come to any conclusions on the promised land/Egypt thing, but spent some time thinking about it anyway.

Another musing that crossed my mind relates to the show "Lost." Amy and I love the show, have been on board since the beginning and I intend to hang around until the series has completely exhausted itself. I got to thinking about the character of Locke and how I have reacted to him over the past two seasons. In season one, Locke was the guy who had things pretty well in hand. He seemed to relish being on the island, seemed to have a grasp of what was going on and carried himself with a confidence that nobody else had. In season two, he seems to doubt everything, can be easily manipulated (i.e. his interaction with Henry) and seems to be at a loss as to how to proceed.



I have found myself saying that I enjoyed Locke more in season one because of the certainty that he had and hope that he comes back to that place again. This morning it struck me that a year ago I had a confidence that now eludes me and a certainty that has given way to questioning much like Locke. I began to wonder if my desire for him to return to his roots is a desire to refind those same characteristics in myself.