Two Paths In the Woods
Last night, I partook of a celebration of the end of the semester with some of my fellow juniors at THE LTS.
During the conversation, some of my pipeliner friends shared with me that some of my second career fellow classmates had made them feel that the calls the pipeliners were responding to were less than the second career people because the second career people had given up SO much in order to follow God's call. The pipeliners were hurt; feeling that people who they respected didn't respect them.
Having walked away from a house and a career, I understand what one of my second career friends may have meant. Because in coming to THE LTS, I gave up the life I had been leading. But my pipeliner friends are giving up their entire lives. They are choosing not to buy new cars, not to have wonderful homes full of the latest toys and gadgets.
Who's call is more virtueous and who is called more deeply. I am not to say. Nor is anyone else. We are called when God wants us. God doesn't call those who are able; God enables the ones He calls. Do second career people give up a lot to answer the call? YES, and the pipeliners see and appreciate that. Do pipeliners give up a lot to answer the call? Yes, their whole lives. I'm not sure my fellow second career seminarians see that. I'm not sure the teaching parishes in which they serve see that. I'm not sure the churches who will call them see that.
Will my life experience help me in my first call? I hope to God it will.
Will their exuberance and youth serve them in all of their calls? I know it will.
Robert Frost wrote about the road not taken. All of us who are called to ministry, regardless of age, gender, or denomination have taken that road. Who am I to judge who is more noble for the path they took to get there?
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth.
Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same.
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I--
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
Robert Frost - The Road Not Taken
During the conversation, some of my pipeliner friends shared with me that some of my second career fellow classmates had made them feel that the calls the pipeliners were responding to were less than the second career people because the second career people had given up SO much in order to follow God's call. The pipeliners were hurt; feeling that people who they respected didn't respect them.
Having walked away from a house and a career, I understand what one of my second career friends may have meant. Because in coming to THE LTS, I gave up the life I had been leading. But my pipeliner friends are giving up their entire lives. They are choosing not to buy new cars, not to have wonderful homes full of the latest toys and gadgets.
Who's call is more virtueous and who is called more deeply. I am not to say. Nor is anyone else. We are called when God wants us. God doesn't call those who are able; God enables the ones He calls. Do second career people give up a lot to answer the call? YES, and the pipeliners see and appreciate that. Do pipeliners give up a lot to answer the call? Yes, their whole lives. I'm not sure my fellow second career seminarians see that. I'm not sure the teaching parishes in which they serve see that. I'm not sure the churches who will call them see that.
Will my life experience help me in my first call? I hope to God it will.
Will their exuberance and youth serve them in all of their calls? I know it will.
Robert Frost wrote about the road not taken. All of us who are called to ministry, regardless of age, gender, or denomination have taken that road. Who am I to judge who is more noble for the path they took to get there?
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth.
Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same.
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I--
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
Robert Frost - The Road Not Taken
Comments
Anyway, thanks for lifting up the experiences and calls of both the pipeliners and the second careerers (yes, its a word I made up!). All are important to ministry and all have something to contribute, regardless of the experiences they bring with them.
I've been so impressed by our class and our ability to mesh all sorts of different life experiences into great friendships. Like Dana, I pray that we continue the fellowship that we've come to enjoy.