I found out years after the fact that "God forbid!" was my father's reaction when I first announced (during my senior year in college) that I was going to pursue a career in youth ministry.
His objection - which he kept to himself - wasn't about anything like low pay, lack of status, or limited career options.
No, the gut-level "God forbid!" came out of his years of attending local churches and especially the experience of serving on various church committees.
Here was dad's fear: I was a naïve idealist who was about to walk into the reality of the inner workings of a church. He figured that I might witness "how the sausage is made" and get so discouraged that I would walk away not only from the local church but from my Christian faith altogether.
Thus ... God forbid!
He didn't seek to discourage my plans, but he sure prayed for me.
No comments:
Post a Comment