Why does God call us specifically? For what ever reason we on the StEP team have been called by God to serve and be served by the church. One of the reasons we never think of is why. Why did God call me specifically now, in this point in time to serve on StEP?

I know I have many gifts to offer the StEP team and CESCM which StEP is a part of. Time, patience, service, willingness to give up whole weeks and weekends to fly halfway across the country to sit in meetings for 10 hours a day. Yes this all makes me a good choice for a StEP member.

But on the eve of graduation, I also am able to provide a different view on the world as my other members. Through travel and other mission work that I was called to do when I was younger, it has prepared me for the challenges and blessings that I have encountered during my first year and a half on Step and CESCM.

When I first started college, I was sure that I was going into music. So I applied to get into a music program. No luck. Then I was sure that I was going to work with computers. Yup, the same result. After much soul searching and discernment I transferred to Lakeland College. Now in a little less than a month, I will graduate with a BA in Religion.

Now I'm in almost the same place as I was after high school. I look forward towards the future with an excited contentment. I know what I must do after college; I'm just not sure how to go about it. I finally listened the first time God called instead of the 800th. A couple of years ago, I would have started going crazy with anxiety right now. But now I'm accepting this uncertainty with joy. I have no clue what's going to happen next year, and I'm thrilled.

I know that I needed a year off to discover who I am and my place in the world. I know God has called me into the ministry through seminary, but gratefully I report, now is not the moment to enter seminary. The almighty has granted me a reprieve for now, to rest and recuperate from my already many (too many if you ask me) years in college. So I can attack seminary and ministry with my head cleared and ready for what lies ahead.

So I'm going to listen for the first time without questioning. I've learned my lesson. I'm not going to fight it anymore. So who knows where I'll end up when my period of discovery ends up. I have ideas, but I'm not sharing yet.

Justin Lyman is a member of the Student Ecumenical Partnership (STEP) Leadership Team and is a member of North Parish Congregational Church in Sanford, Maine.