Repurposed by Phil

At the beginning of this month, we sold our equipment trailer. A couple of years ago, we upgraded to a new, more compact sound system that fits right in the back of our Honda CR-V, so the trailer had been sitting idle for quite a while. Still, parting with it was bittersweet. We bought that trailer when we relaunched our ministry 25 years ago, and it accompanied us across the country for more miles than I care to remember. It holds a lot of memories. The good news is that a stained-glass company specializing in church restoration owns it now. It’s still serving the Kingdom—its job description has just changed!

I see several parallels to this in my own life. When our accident happened, my role shifted instantly from gospel singer to full-time caregiver. I remember a close friend telling me at the time, "Caring for Pam is your ministry now." That was hard to hear. I thought (and probably said), "But I don't want this ministry. I never signed up to be a nurse." Yet, I remained committed to my duties. Through that valley, God grew me, and Pam and I were drawn even closer in our marriage.

Later, when COVID-19 shut down our traveling ministry, God opened a door for me to serve as the music minister at our home church. Once again, this wasn't a position I had ever desired or envisioned for myself, but it was clear God was leading. To be entirely honest, it was a profoundly humbling and testing experience. At times I found myself wondering if God was testing my faithfulness—checking to see if I would follow Him or give up and walk away. I remember praying, "OK Lord, if this is where You want me to spend my remaining years in ministry, I'll do it." And God absolutely used my talents to bless that church during a season of transition, just as He blessed us with steady income when the rest of the world was locked down.

When that job came to an abrupt end nine months later, I was deeply confused by what God was doing. But as I kept putting one foot in front of the other, He rewarded that perseverance. He led me to my current position—which I absolutely love—while still granting us the time to do road ministry.

What did I learn through all of this? I used to view a calling from God as a career path. Now, I understand it is much more like a military deployment. Jesus calls us to follow Him; the ministry isn't our identity, it's just the assignment we've been given for the moment. An assignment can last for years or for a single season, and the Commander is free to redeploy us whenever and wherever He sees fit. Sometimes those missions don't seem to align with what we perceive as our strengths, but that is beside the point. The real question is: will we go where He says go, or will we turn back?

If you are currently struggling to see God's hand or understand why He has you placed where you are, hang in there! God sees your heart. I realized a long time ago that my job isn't to figure out what God is up to—my brain is far too small for that! My job is simply to be ready and willing to move when He calls. I am serving Him, not my own ego. And friends, faithfulness is faithfulness, no matter the terrain of your current assignment.

Besides, when all our work on this earth is finally done, what could possibly be better than hearing Jesus say, "Well done, good and faithful servant... Enter into the joy of your Lord" (Matthew 25:23)?

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Still Serving,
Phil and Pam

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