Dear Pali Pres,
As many of you know, I was recently in Atlanta taking part in a workshop related to my Doctor of Ministry (DMin) program. It was an important time for me to plan out my final project, which I hope to complete sometime in 2025. I’m a bit embarrassed to admit this, but I began my DMin studies way back in 2017! Not to make excuses, but a few things have happened in my life and in the world over the past seven years that have slowed my progress (you know, like a world-wide pandemic, having a second child, being called to a new church, selling a home and buying a home, etc.) What was originally supposed to take 3-4 years to complete will now take closer to 8 years. Yikes!
Reflecting on my life’s journey since 2017 has made me realize, once again, how so much of life is timing. My plans for completing my DMin degree changed dramatically due to the normal (and abnormal) circumstances that make up life. Some of these circumstances were well beyond my control (like the COVID-19 outbreak), while other circumstances were within my control but forced me to pick and choose how to prioritize my life (like giving more time and attention to my family when Luke was born in 2018).
Planning, prioritizing, and working towards our goals is always a balance. I believe God wants us to “press on towards the goal” that he has set before us (as Paul writes in Philippians 3:14), while at the same time remembering that our ways are not always God’s ways (Isaiah 55:8) and that it is God who sets the timing of all things (Ecclesiastes 3:1). I’m still learning, as I suspect we all are, how to fully embrace and navigate this balance between “pressing on” with my plans while also “letting go” of my need to control how and when things get done. It seems that with prayer, advice from people we trust, and plenty of practice this process of balancing gets a bit easier (though never truly easy).
May God grant all of us wisdom and patience in the ongoing balancing act that is life!
Yours in Christ,
Pastor Matt