A dear, dear friend of mine is a minister and will be ordained this December. We had worked together for many years doing event decor, balloons and balloon drops for New Year's, etc.. But through our friendship, I began to realize that there was a part of me that was being nourished and nurtured and drawn closer and closer to my God. Several years before, I had a dream in which God spoke to me, actually spoke to me. I couldn't see His face, but the only image I remember was one of serenity and light. He was calling me to service, calling me to ministry, and not realizing the magnitude of that dream and that spoken voice, I told Him no. It wasn't until a few years later, that I realized just what He was calling me to do. Ministry is different for each one of us, and it doesn't always involve attending seminary and having a degree. I didn't know then that most people never actually get to hear God's voice, and just how blessed I was.
I've always been the type of person that if given a stage and an audience, I would entertain. In my school days, I was in every production, took all of the required courses and had intended on being a star student at the Conservatory at the University of Cincinnati. They even offered me a pretty substantial scholarship, which after months of thinking about it, I turned down. We will talk about what I did from that point on in another blog because it is a story all to its own, but suffice it to say, my family wasn't happy with me for the decision that I made. We won't discuss how many years it's been, either. So, just don't go there.
I grew up in the Episcopal church, was involved on the Diocesan Youth Council, organized all types of activities for the other youth a not just my church, but all over southern Ohio as well. I had a grandfather that was a Lay leader in a small country church in northern Ohio and growing up, I was always immersed in God's word in one way or another. What I didn't know at the time, was that God was leading me in a direction of service that would become a strong calling in my later life. Enough about that for now, but it was a beginning.
So far in this story, we have two elements for this formula, and we will soon complete it with the third element. I write. I've always enjoyed writing, and it was during the first few months as the Children's Director, that I again had a few of those middle of the night conversations with God, but this time, I didn't hear His voice. He implanted thoughts, ideas, music and more in my mind. For awhile, I didn't really know what to make of all of it, and then one day, it was quite literally like a light bulb went off over my head. All I can say is "thank Heavens for computers and Microsoft Word", because without them, I would have had terminal writer's cramp. The only catch to those Divine downloads was that they nearly always came in the wee hours of the morning. Ignoring them at first, I would attempt to go back to sleep, but it was if He was tapping me on the shoulder and saying "get up, I need you to do this NOW". You know, it's absolutely amazing how much you can accomplish between 3:00 am and sunrise and still be chipper and perky when you're done. That's because I HAD HELP!
It wasn't long after starting this ministry at church, that I began to take some of those middle of the night downloads and put them to use. One Wednesday night for our Kids Klub, my friend visited with a trunk full of puppets, some magic tricks and entertained my Wednesday night group. I watched their little faces go from nonchalant and bored to total amazement and enchantment at what they were seeing. Soon after, we started planning our own Puppetry and Drama ministry that was an off shoot from the Children's Ministry. The only catch was that it was for kids of all ages from 5 to 105. For the next nearly 7 years, this crazy group of God loving children, young and old, practiced and toured and entertained and blessed. Known as "The Joyful Noise", we performed at Christian music festivals, schools and churches in the Florida panhandle and Alabama. We had so much fun and God drew so many people closer to Him through the silliness of our skits, the illusions and the somewhat whimsical, but evangelical outreach of our puppets and their alter egos, the kids! At one point, we had 42 people that participated in this wonderful ministry. Have you ever taken 42 people of all ages to Florida in 4 vans, 2 cars and a 16 foot trailer tailing behind one of the vans. Our first aid kit usually always got used BEFORE we ever got out of Georgia. A 6 hour drive generally turned into 8 to 10 and no one ever had to go the bathroom at the same time! I loved it, absolutely every minute of it.
I was blessed to lay hands on people that were drawn to Jesus Christ through what we were doing. I was even more blessed to see this group of kids that had been nurtured through this ministry, flock to the one person that was on their knees at the foot of the cross and crying out for salvation. I was humbled and touched beyond all comprehension when these same kids gently laid their own hands on each person that sought their Savior through something that touched them in our performance. I was blessed to be witness to not one, but countless miracles every single time we went out. From the first show on, we closed every performance with an alter call and the puppets "singing" Shout to the Lord, and at the end of every show, I wept because I, myself, the leader of this little group was always overwhelmed at the beauty and the magnitude of what had just happened. That has not ever changed.
In Ecclesiastes 3:1-8, it says "to everything there is a season". In 2004, I knew my "season" was coming to an end and God had other plans for me. I left my position that August and walked away from it all. It broke my heart, but, I knew it was time.
When you've been at the helm of a project for a long time, even though you know it's time to let it go, it's hard. So, when I walked away, I walked away from every last bit of it. I even looked at attending other churches, thought about applying for the same position at other churches. It took me awhile to realize and accept that at least for right now, God had another direction for me to go, and that was getting my own kids through those awful teenage years and making my family stronger.
Well, time did its thing, and it flew by. I really do think it goes faster as you get older. My kids are grown, one is married to a wonderful young man that I am proud to call "son", and my son has accomplished milestones and graduated and is now in college. Retirement looks promising in a few years, and I am looking forward to those days with my husband, my children and maybe someday grandchildren. Things were good and looked to be good going forward.
Remember me telling you about those middle of the night "brainstorming downloads" between God and me? Well in the fall of 2008, He let me know that it was time for a new chapter to begin and I was to be a part of it. I got those wonderful puppets out of storage and started from scratch, well almost scratch. Here we go again and with a whole new outlook, new faces, new ideas and new blessings.
It's true, you can't go back. Things never really will be the way they used to be. That's where that whole "season" thing comes to play. I don't see our group ever really going on tour again, but who knows. It is not our decision. God knows what He's doing, and I will go where He leads me. We've come through two full years of "newness" now. Kids are doing what kids do really well. They are growing up. But something tells me that this new "season" hasn't quite run its course yet. So, tonight, God and I are going to have a long talk about His plans and tomorrow is a new day. I guess I will find out then, just what He has in mind for me and for my dear friends that have joined me in this ministry.
Dad, if you're calling, I'm answering. I'll be waiting for Your call in the wee hours of the morning. You won't get a busy signal or an answering machine, You will get my heart and my undivided attention. Praise You and all glory to You!
Your child,
Kaye
Ecclesiastes 3 To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace. Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 |
