One Year - All Sunshine + Daisies Part 2.

A year ago this morning I was sitting alone in a booth at Coras Restaurant, drinking coffee alone with my resume and anxieties, and waiting for two pastors to show up to interview me - both of whom were late because of traffic on the 401, and one of whom I didn't know and wasn't sure what I'd do if he arrived before the pastor I did know, seeing as I wouldn't recognize him.

With my luck, the pastor I didn't know at that time was the one who arrived first, but luckily the restaurant host was able to help him determine that the person he was looking for was very likely the young lady sitting by herself in a booth drinking mediocre coffee, looking anxious and unsure, and waiting for people to arrive before ordering.

That meeting on January 31st, 2019 ended with me getting a job as a worship leader.

What a year it has been!

At the time I got hired, I wasn't really sure what the next week would look like, let alone a year from that day. Although I'd studied for four years for a degree that prepared me to become a worship leader, I suddenly felt intimidated and like I'd never learned a thing. Throwing me into a new church setting after having grown up at the same church for my whole life, and having to meet a whole congregation of people (four congregations, technically🤪) left me feeling small and insecure and underprepared.

I've grown a lot over the past 365 days, but haven't we all? Sometimes I can find myself feeling like I've worked at this church for five years, and other times it feels like only five weeks.

source: Micheile Henderson; unsplash.com

Halfway through February of last year, I wrote a post announcing that I'd gotten this job. Looking back at that now, I see that I shared a quote which I actually forgot all about until I reread it just now:

"'Find a job you love and you'll never work a day in your life' is possibly the worst platitude. Work is tough whether you love it or not. Do not quit your paying job to pursue your passion if you think it's going to be no work and all sunshine and daisies."

I'd say that that quote still rings true. I mean, my passion is my paying job which is something I'm super thankful for everyday, but my point when sharing that quote last year was that sometimes my job can feel just like that - a job. It's still my passion for sure, one hundred percent, but some days I can feel like I'm simply going through the motions of scheduling people, choosing songs, and so on.

I also wrote in that post that the pastor's wife told me that I'd need to find something good in every situation or else I'd never be content. That is also still true. It's a great reminder to me that I need to find my joy, satisfaction, and contentment in the Lord and not in my passion or my job.

This past year has been crazy and different for me in many different ways but the Lord has remained evermore the same and has been faithful through it all. It's true that I never know what tomorrow will bring and how long I'll be doing this job, but right now I love where I am and what I'm doing; I love my new church family, and I'm so grateful for what this past year has taught me, how I've grown and changed and developed in my skills, leadership, and ministry. I can't wait to see what these next 365 will bring!