My Experience of God's Call...

by Ann McClure

The beginning of my journey with "God's Call" was somewhat like "wandering in the wilderness." At church (about 55 years ago) I would hear please for someone to help with a worthy project. I would look around and see no volunteer raise a hand. I would think, "Maybe that means I am being Called." Never mind that I had no interest in, or qualifications for the task. As you can imagine, my life, and my family's life, became chaotic and distressed.

I believe I heard God speaking to me eventually, in a little book that said something like this:

A major interest in my life has been reading and teaching reading. I am interested in how people learn. I love the questions: "What does the text say?" "What does the text mean?" "What does the text mean in my life?" Is it any wonder that I felt a call to teach Adult Bible Study?... for 40 years?

In 1998 we moved to CA and began a search for a church. My husband, Sam, found a home, but I did not. Also, I began to feel that I had come to the end of my call to teach. About that time I developed a brand new interest. I spent a lot of time learning about CA gardening. I turned by entire back yard, into a garden of flowers, shrubs, and trees with drip irrigation. I joined the California Native Plant Society and visited Garden Clubs. But I never once planted a vegetable!

A few years ago, through Kevin Buchanan and Astrid Voelker I came to visit Knox. It is very different from my form 1600 member, Philadelphia suburban church. I became an irregular visitor at Knox. Then, through the Forgiveness Class, teaching a Bible Study Class and hearing Sue's preaching my attachment to this church and the wonderful people increased. Worshiping at Knox has become very meaningful to me. BUT, every time I looked at the church's empty land I thought:

"This land is not witnessing to God."

Then one night I heard Sue say that Knox had not followed-up on the Community Garden idea simply because no one ever volunteered to research the matter. Is it any surprise that I KNEW instantly that I could research that topic? Is it any surprise that this project could become, for me, a "Call"?

My experience a "Call" has been that.