That is the wonderful message of our Christian faith. We do belong. We are a part of the family of God. No one can pluck us out of his hand or delete us from the Book of Life. You can easily delete me from your circle of friends. You can unfriend me on Facebook. You can even cut me off from any future contact or communication with you. You have the power to cut me out of your life, but no one can interrupt my connection with God.

            There are those who think that they can establish the criterion for who is in and who is out of God’s family, but those decisions are far removed from their realm of control. They are powerless to set the rules. God alone has established the criteria and no human being can alter it. “ …whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have ever lasting life.” There are no modifiers. We all belong if we believe. Whatever our particular demographic, we belong. God is love. It doesn’t get any more basic than that. God loved me long before I loved him or even knew who he is. I do not need to worry about whether or not I will be deleted from his great contact list. He calls me by my name. My place is secure and so is yours.

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There is nothing more difficult than realizing that you have been called to do something, or perhaps be something, that will most likely bring the disapproval of others.  As a young girl I loved visiting the community pool and playing with my friends, though I did prefer one game that might have seemed a bit unusual to other children.  While some kids played games of tag and water basketball in the deep end of the pool, I could be found in the shallow end.  You see, that was the only place where my feet would touch the bottom and allow me to stand up straight as I baptized each one of my friends.  Yes, I was the girl who spoke aloud the words she had heard her pastor speak so many times before, “I baptize you now in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.  Buried with Christ in baptism, raised to walk in a new kind of life”.  I have to admit that my “candidates” were not always cooperative, or even willing, but I was preparing for what I thought I would be doing for the rest of my life.  I was certain that God had called me into ministry, though I did not yet have the language of pastor and preacher.  I only knew that I was meant to help people, love and care for them, and share the story of Jesus as it had been shared with me.  It was simple……but not for long. 

I have recently seen my calling come into full fruition, as I was called as Pastor of a small church in Mount Airy, NC (yes, the real Mayberry).  The road to Flat Rock Baptist Church was filled with great success and affirmation, as well as pain and rejection, as I struggled alongside sisters in the ministry to find my voice and place of service.  I was called every name in the book, and assured time and again that I must certainly be “misinterpreting God’s call”, so when I found myself standing in front of a congregation and with tears in my eyes accepting their invitation to serve them as their pastor, I once again felt the way I did in that swimming pool.  The spirit of God poured out on a daughter, knees shaking at the task before me, yet overwhelmed with joy at the thought that I was receiving an invitation….an invitation to become.  

Sadly, there are those that would seek to drown out the voice of the Holy beckoning to me, and replace it with the sounds of hate and oppression.  My church, for being willing to call a person and not a gender, was quickly ousted from the local Baptist association.  Signs proclaiming, “Women cannot be pastors, according to God’s Law”, went up at in town churches, while other pastors decided to preach sermons railing against my presence as a “devil sent distraction” meant only to destroy “biblical purity”.  With all this static, how could anyone expect to hear, much less interpret, the voice of God?  

Luckily for me, the voice of the God who calls came through loud and clear in the form of church members who proudly proclaimed me as a beloved friend and pastor, as well as countless e-mails and phone calls from clergy and laity around the world expressing support and affirmation.  Our church is not just surviving, it is thriving, and as for me…..well, I remain confident in the knowledge that I am called, and by the grace of God, still becoming.

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Mother – Enthusiasm, Love

Dad – Faith, Integrity, Work Ethic

Liz – Acceptance, Love, Understanding, Friendship

Pop Gossett – Laughter

Grandma Gossett – Thrift

Uncle Jim Gossett – Fun

Uncle Jack Carnell – Adventure

Joan Frei Gilliland – Courage

Rev. Roy Gowan – Freedom

Uncle Calvin Carnell – Identity

Aunt Gertrude West – Encouragement

Mrs. Elma McGill – Love, Thoughtfulness

Dr. Waldo Braden – Professionalism, Integrity

Dr. T. Earle Johnson – Professionalism, Compassion

Dr. George Gunn – Scholarship

Dr. Ollie Backus – Introspection

Dr. John Hamrick – Worship, Humility

David Redd – Reverence

Janet Whitmore Gilliland – Directness

Danny Gwinn – Hope

John Carney – Friendship

Dr. Harold Powell – Humility

Sam Brissie – Motivation

Sara Lowrey – Creativity, Appreciation

Jimmy Wiggs – Loyalty

Dr. Ernest Frei – Perspective

Winifred Frei – Perseverance

Bennett Murray – Trust

Gil Pooser – Wholeness

Aunt Alice Carnell Willis – Sacrifice

Great Uncle Mitch Easler – Family

Great Aunt Ruth Easler – Contentment, Charm

Mrs. Lois Landford – Devoutness

Mrs. Virginia Spurlock – Forthrightness

Clara Lawson – kindness

Francis Pearson – Confidence, Love of History

Eugenia Coleman – Writing

DeRossett Myers – Character, Integrity

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            I get letters from boyhood friends, from fellow grad students, from fellow staff members from long ago. Am I getting old and nostalgic? Of course I am and I plan to enjoy every minute of it. God has blessed me with a wonderful family and with great friends. Why would I not be happy to enjoy them? Do some people send cards just because they got one from me? Of course they do. Do I send a card to someone because I got one from him or her? Of course, I do, so what?

            When all is said and done family and friends are what count. We can never repay all the blessings that we have received. God missed us so much that he sent his son Jesus to lead us home. He said, “I miss you. I miss out talks. I miss our walks. Please come home.” As I read your cards and letters I am reminded of what a great gift you are to my life. You are a gift from God and I remember the greatest gift of all.

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            We can never out give God. I have tried on many occasions to count my blessings. I cannot do it. They are far too numerous. At one of the darkest moments in my life, I heard Dr. Robert Schuler say, “Don’t count what you have lost. Count what you have left.” I am sure that I had heard that same message before without its meaning sinking in, but this time it buried itself in my conscious. I literally started trying to make a list. It was a good but futile exercise.

            “Thank you,” is a powerful message. Spoken to God, a spouse, a family member, a friend, a stranger or even an adversary, its message can cut through almost any situation. Today I was up earlier than usual. When I brought up my E-mail that had arrived over night, there was a beautiful “Thank you” note. What a wonderful way to start a busy day. Pass it on.

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