Checking In
Those of you who follow my blog have no doubt noticed that I haven’t been here for a while. There are reasons for my absence.
In the past few months, I have been in a fairly dark place. I have not been feeling any joy, or satisfaction in what I do. The reasons for this are almost entirely economic. I have been without full time employment for more than a year, my wife without full time employment for more than five months. Pam and I receive unemployment insurance assistance from the state of Oregon, and I have worked a couple of consulting jobs during this time, but the bills continue, and there doesn’t seem to be much hope that things are going to get better anytime in the near future. I have emailed HUNDREDS of resumes, filled out at least a hundred job applications, been on at least fifty interviews, and…nothing. Its more than a little frustrating. I live in Oregon, where the unemployment rate is currently 12.5 percent. In Oregon, I live in Lane county, where the unemployment rate is 15 percent.
Now, before I go any further, just let me say that I KNOW that God is in control. I know that He has a plan for me, and that His plan is far superior to anything I could ever hope to devise. I know that, and I believe that.
Couple my current economic worries with my dis-satisfaction about the worship team I currently serve on, and where I am NOT the worship leader, and we begin to shed some light into my dark place.
I am not happy, for many reasons, with where I am at. I will share those soon. For now, I just wanted you to know that I am still here, and will be here.
God Bless you all
Smitty
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still praying with you!
Greetings…I just wanted to share that in doing some research on worship consulting I came across your wordpress site and have spent the last hour devouring several of your blog entries on both consulting and worship leadership. I find myself as a fairly experienced worship leader being more and more in a position of consulting, and about to start a new chapter in my life at a new church..again…but that’s a sign of God’s providence. I led the launch of an edgy service at a church in North Carolina…relocating for the position which was essentially a compilation of my giftings and passions, and loved it, but after nearly a year of job hunting, my husband was unable to find a comparable job to what he has in Cleveland, so after 9 months of living as a split family (our 7 year old here in OH with him, and our 4 and 1.5 yr olds with me in NC – craziness!) . SO…when it comes to the job huning, we can really empathize…I pray that it’s looking up a bit. But, that’s particularly why I want to share how encouraging I have found your entries to be….a lot of it is stuff I know and would tell a team, or have shared with my teams and others….but some of it refreshing and succinctly put that is encouraging for me as I prepare for my adventure in a new church in Cleveland (God provided that part time job for me as both confirmation that it was time for me to come back, and to allow our family some together time where I could be more present than if working full time, and as evidence of His faithfulness – I’m confident He will provide for you as well!). ANyway….I see that you’ve been through a rough patch, and I hope that knowing that your work, willingness to share and attitude towards worship and helping people step closer to the excellence that God deserves and the effectiveness that will touch His people………it has been a great help to me, and I’m grateful for what you’ve done. You’ve made a difference in this worship leader’s life! THANK YOU! Prayers for you and Pam for blessings and comfort and sustenance in this weary time. Peace, my friend!
I’d really like to thank you for your kind words. I’m glad that you have been able to learn or reaffirm, and that I was able to help in some small way. Pam and I are working our way through this…but it’s not our strength we rely on…its His. I thank God every day for people like you and your husband, who are willing to do all they can in service to a higher calling. God will continue to bless you. In His service…David