“Why did you come forward today?” The chairman of our deacon board read the question at the top of the “Decision Card,” then looked at me awkwardly.

Or maybe I just felt awkward. I had just had a deeply personal and very emotional experience. But instead of processing it by myself or in conversation with a trusted friend or mentor, I was talking to a stranger in a business suit.

Just moments before, an evangelist had concluded his sermon about the “call to the ministry” and had invited anyone who felt “called to fulltime ministry” to come forward while the congregation sang a few stanzas of “Just As I Am.” I jumped up at the first available moment, convinced the Holy Spirit was leading me to do exactly that.  I suppose the deacon chairman was the designated sermon response intake specialist that evening.

A “call to the ministry” is a powerful thing. I have often reflected on that moment in times of doubt. Was I really “called?” After all, two or three of my friends had responded too, but a few months later it didn’t seem to make much difference. For me, though, that moment had a lasting impact.

About a year later, my Christian school hosted several hundred students from eastern PA for a “career day.” I heard from a plumber and a chef (the chef brought snacks so his session was packed) and a few other professionals about their career.

Then I went to the pastor’s session. My classmate’s dad was a pastor about an hour from my home. Until that point, I wasn’t planning to be a pastor. Maybe a well-liked camp director or traveling evangelist or something; not a pastor.

But I listened as he talked about the role of a shepherd, caring for the flock, teaching the same group of people week in and week out, the highs and lows, the heartbreak and the moments of breakthrough, and I was hooked.

Now my “call” was beginning to take shape. That following Sunday, I stopped my pastor on his way up to the pulpit just before the evening service began (seemed like a good time to me; what could he possibly have to think about in that moment?). I told him matter-of-factly, “I’ve been called to the ministry. What should I do?”

To my surprise, he had a quick and ready answer: “Go to Bob Jones University and study the Bible.”

Yes, that was the entire conversation. Off he went to start the service, but he had given me my answer and I never stopped to question it. Looking back, I scratch my head over how simple it all seemed.

My journey over the next several years wasn’t always so straightforward. I volunteered in as many ministries as I could, enrolled in the “preacher boys” class at a Christian college, got kicked out of school, sat out a year, begged to be allowed back, graduated, got married, moved back to Pennsylvania to work at a church, stayed six years longer than intended, and attended seminary.

After graduating, I sent out dozens of resumes and sat by the phone, expecting it to ring. Any minute. Any day. And nothing. Yes, I was young (29). But I had been preparing for eleven years, and engaged in ministry before that. Why wasn’t there a place for me to serve?

I can’t begin to describe how disillusioning it was to experience a “call to ministry” only to learn that nobody else had gotten the memo. So, we started over. We moved to another state, joined another church, worked and waited. Our elders told us, “Learn to be content with the situation God has given you.” Friends reminded me, “If you’re truly called, God will make it happen.” Easy for them to say; they all had ministry positions!

Seventeen years after my “call to ministry” experience, I had another encounter with the Lord. Sitting by myself on a park bench south of Louisville, KY on an unseasonably warm February day, I was finally able to cast this care on the Lord. I told Him, “If you don’t open a door for pastoral ministry by summertime, I’ll stop seeking a position.” A month or so later, I received an email from the Indian Creek search team.

I share that for two reasons: First, when we celebrate the ordination of two of our elders this Sunday, we’re getting one short snapshot of a calling long in the making, a calling the Lord knew about long before we did. God has been preparing these men, unbeknownst to us, for many years.

Another reason I share this is because I often encounter Christians who feel disillusioned about their “call.” One of the reasons we get that way is because we fail to understand the gap between the moment God lays a burden on our heart and the moment we get to pursue it. We imagine that because we feel called, it’s time to fulfill our calling. But often, that’s not the case. Perhaps you’re in the gap right now.

Many fall away during this time. The disappointment over their ministry calling leads to disillusionment with God himself.

If you’re in the gap, just be faithful. Do the things you know God expects you to do. Stay close to Him. Learn to cast your cares on Him and be content. You never know how He might use your season of waiting to prepare you for what’s next.