Ever since our kids were little, we have taken them on camping trips. Some were short weekend jaunts, others were major road-trips. (Our longest trip was 4 weeks and over 6000 miles of driving). Planning these vacations always was a lot of work…but the work was tempered by the excitement of the anticipated trip. And the work paid off when the trip became a reality! There were always some unanticipated events, but – for the most part - each trip would unfold much as expected.
Our season of sabbatical is also a kind of “trip”…but this one is unfolding much differently than we anticipated. Unlike every other trip we have taken, our destination this time is unclear. It is very odd to depart on a journey without knowing exactly where you are going or when you will arrive.
I was excited at the beginning, because we were stepping into a new adventure. Yes, we were leaving our church home but we were excited to see what God would reveal for the future. And there were a lot of plans to look forward to: Karina was moving to Portland for grad school; Rachel was heading to Minnesota for college; we would be visiting a pastoral retreat center.
But time has passed since our trip began and we now are beyond all of the planned events. And (what a surprise) experiences have unfolded differently than we anticipated. Karina is settling in at school and work in Portland...and she’s engaged! It’s not easy planning a wedding when she and I live in two different states. At this momentous season of her life, I deeply miss her and wish she was here with me. Rachel withdrew from college and returned home because – despite a lot of research by all of us – the academic writing program she entered just was not what she expected nor wanted. She’s now working with a writing coach, and has found a job, but she’s wrestling with disappointment and shattered dreams… and we’re trying to support her as best we can. For us, the wonderful pastoral retreat is over and we’re now engaged in the challenging daily work of implementing what we learned about ourselves.
It’s been just three months, but it seems as if this journey began a long time ago. We feel like we’re in the middle of the trip, but we still don’t know how or where or when it will end. As Christians, we know that God is in control and directs our days. But because our direction is unclear and the future continues to be uncertain, we find ourselves in a bit of a funk. Furthermore, without a church family we feel like nomads, and without ongoing activity in daily pastoral ministry, our “passions” are not being tapped. Needless to say, at times we wrestle with questions and doubts.
We’re reminding ourselves that this trip is not just about taking a break and then finding new jobs. It’s about connecting with God in new and different ways. So we’re trying to dig deep and seek our loving God with all of our hearts, trusting Him to lead us into our unknown and unseen future.
- Julie
About Me
- Bruce and Julie
- After seasons of working in both the for-profit and non-profit worlds, God called both of us into ministry. We have two over-riding passions: (1) to communicate - via speaking, teaching, and writing - God's truth as found in the Bible, and (2) to help men and women experience a faith in Jesus Christ that meets the deepest needs within their souls. + + + + Both of us are ordained ministers in the independent Christian Churches. Bruce is the Preaching Minister at Garden Way Church in Eugene, Oregon. Julie has earned a certificate in Spiritual Direction, has been a Women's Pastor and an adjunct college professor, and oversees a non-profit women's ministry called "the unfolding soul". Together we are developing a prayer garden at our home in Springfield called The Lavender Pavilion. + + + + We have been married for more than 30 years and have three adult children.
