What do you want to be when you grow up?

I’ve just rounded the corner out of my third decade, and I’ve hit a strange crisis.  Up until this point I’ve always known what I want to be when I grow up: a missionary.  I want to get paid to share the gospel.  The gospel is preeminent, foundational.  The paycheck has always been secondary.

So it’s tough to think  in terms of benefits and 401-K, as I have been looking out at my options going forward.

I feel pretty marketable in church circles, in that I am a worship leader who is also a bit of a tech guy/jack of most trades.  I can fix the wireless network and code the websites and help streamline interoffice communications, in addition to leading the music on Sunday mornings.  So, I’m not really concerned about being able to land a job somewhere in churchland.

But I just quit my dream job, and most of the places I’m looking at now are either part-time or not in my dream situation (denominational/theological differences that would likely become an issue, need for a Masters degree of some sort, etc) and so here I am at a crossroad.  I am not going to jump at the first ministry job out there, just for a paycheck.  I’d rather work at Starbucks or Harris Teeter while I wait on my dream situation than to get roped in to a less-than-ideal vocational ministry situation.

Which leads me to the same question I faced as a 3rd grader: what I want to be when I grow up.  Back then I said I’d like to be an artist when i grow up.  I didn’t miss it by far.  My 3rd grade heart knew that ultimately, I want to be creative.  22 years later, I now can confidently say that I not only want to be an artist, I want to be an artist who is focused on creating, because I serve a creative God.  My heart can’t help but to image and promote the creative heart of God.

So now I just have to figure out a way to monetize that.  In the meantime, I’ve put in some applications at various spots, like selling cell phones (let’s face it, I am always talking about iPhones and Android phones anyway, I might as well get paid to sell them…).  I am very excited for the next step, and interested to see how tossing a new baby into this mix will affect things (I’ll let you know in a week and a half).

Bottom line, if I show up at your door toting a Papa John’s box, you’d better tip well.