"you are very marketable"

I bumped into an acquaintance from seminary recently and she knew snippets of my story.  Knowing that I was very close to graduation, she asked what my plan was.  As I begun to engage in small talk, she said with conviction, "I wonder where you will go, you are very marketable." 

I was struck by here words, and while we talked I was unable to focus because I was.. well... flattered.

It was something that was on my mine at that specific moment because I had just finished a dinner with minister and director of a charity in Hong Kong who was on a search committee for his church.  We went to dinner together was because he was a friend of Janice's family, but there was some talk of if I would be interested in pastoring the church he was part of.

"excuse me?  you wanted to know if I wanted to pastor your church?"

Look, I've been a student for over 3 years now, and it'll be 4 before I start my next job.  I've been constantly rubbing shoulders with people who are either amazing at teaching or pastoring, or have no real hope of being an effective pastor.  I know I have the ability to be a pastor, but then again, leading a church, 100s of people, it's daunting.

When I heard that I was very "marketable", I really should have asked what that meant.  Jay Z is marketable, Jennifer Lawrence is marketable, the Apple brand name is marketable... Who says that about a pastor?

Anyways, I'm on the very last stretch of my education.  I'm super scared excited about what my future holds, but the lack of a concrete job after I finish my education makes me wonder.  Yes there are debts that are increasing by the month, I have a family to support, and I'm not getting any younger... yet there is that whole faith aspect.  You know, the whole God thing?

oh yeah...

Anyways, this inactive blog has been on my mind, and now it is revived.  to any people who still visit this page or have this on an RSS... thank you for reading.