“As (Jesus) went from there, he saw two other brothers, James, son of Zebedee and his brother John, in the boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets and he called them. Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.” Matthew 4: 21-22
This passage is used to show that if Jesus calls someone to follow him or to take a certain path on this spiritual journey, he may be asking that it be done immediately; and not in months or years later. When I was thinking about going to the seminary, I had thought about going part time for a year, and continuing to work in the insurance industry, before going full time. I had gone to undergraduate school part time while working full time in the steel mill. I thought that was the practical thing to do again. However, again God had other plans.
I talked to my pastor, Dave Shugert, about my thoughts, and from things he did, plus other signs I was given the clear message for me was to go full time and not to wait for a year. Thus, I quit a career that I had invested nearly twenty-eight years in, had benefits and job security, and one that I knew pretty well. Also, I left a year before I would have had enough time in with that company to actually retire from it. Didn’t make a lot of sense; but I went to Trinity Lutheran Seminary at that point, not knowing why I was going, only that I was meant to go.
That ended being a really good thing for me, because if I had gone part time versus full time, I wouldn’t have met and got to know Shirley Ross, and wouldn’t have gotten married to her. Sometimes being practical is not what God is calling us to do, but taking a leap of faith immediately to follow Jesus or to take an unknown path; may be the message. Again, may you be open to listening to where God may be leading you! Peace, Vernon T.
Copyright © 2021 Vernon T. Jones, All Rights Reserved
This passage is used to show that if Jesus calls someone to follow him or to take a certain path on this spiritual journey, he may be asking that it be done immediately; and not in months or years later. When I was thinking about going to the seminary, I had thought about going part time for a year, and continuing to work in the insurance industry, before going full time. I had gone to undergraduate school part time while working full time in the steel mill. I thought that was the practical thing to do again. However, again God had other plans.
I talked to my pastor, Dave Shugert, about my thoughts, and from things he did, plus other signs I was given the clear message for me was to go full time and not to wait for a year. Thus, I quit a career that I had invested nearly twenty-eight years in, had benefits and job security, and one that I knew pretty well. Also, I left a year before I would have had enough time in with that company to actually retire from it. Didn’t make a lot of sense; but I went to Trinity Lutheran Seminary at that point, not knowing why I was going, only that I was meant to go.
That ended being a really good thing for me, because if I had gone part time versus full time, I wouldn’t have met and got to know Shirley Ross, and wouldn’t have gotten married to her. Sometimes being practical is not what God is calling us to do, but taking a leap of faith immediately to follow Jesus or to take an unknown path; may be the message. Again, may you be open to listening to where God may be leading you! Peace, Vernon T.
Copyright © 2021 Vernon T. Jones, All Rights Reserved
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