As I’m winding down my Sabbatical, I’m can’t help but think about how thankful I am to have had this opportunity.
Often times I find myself asking God, “God, where are you in my life?” or “God, will you make it known you are the guiding light in my life.” or “God, I can’t see you…I can’t hear you…”
As I’ve been pondering where God is in my life, the following thoughts raced through my mind.
- It just so happens I was undecided on a career path while a junior in high school.
- It just so happens my cousin (who is a funeral director) moved to my home town when I was a junior.
- It just so happens I hung out with him to learn what funeral service was all about.
- It just so happens I began working at the funeral home.
- It just so happens I realized funeral service was the career for me.
- It just so happens I went to mortuary school or the University of Minnesota.
- It just so happens the Minnesota Funeral Director’s Association had the vision to start Camp Amanda (Children’s Grief Connection) at the same time I was in mortuary school.
- It just so happens Todd Carlson (and others) visited our mortuary science class looking for camp volunteers.
- It just so happens I was moved to tears as they spoke of the vision.
- It just so happens I volunteered for the first, second, third, fourth, fifth… camps.
- It just so happens Todd and I learned we are related.
- It just so happens I met Kris and Melinda Seale, Pat Baxter, Elaine Edward, and a couple others FDLICers at camp.
- It just so happens Kris liked me…I think.
- It just so happens upon graduating mortuary school I reached out to Todd who helped me obtain my first funeral directing job.
- It just so happens that funeral home was an FDLIC client.
- It just so happens that funeral home needed a website.
- It just so happens Chris Baber and I became very close friends through the website venture.
- It just so happens Baber and I had a dream of working together someday.
- It just so happens I was invited to be a guest on a VIP trip several years ago.
- It just so happens I was moved and stirred at what I saw and experienced on that VIP trip and deeply desired to be a part of such a company some day.
- It just so happens Todd moved to Abilene to take an executive position with the company.
- It just so happens Todd began reaching out to me with potential positions with the company.
- It just so happens my wife didn’t want to move (by the way, that was not a God thing).
- It just so happens I left funeral service and took a position as the Director of IT at the Christian school my children attend.
- It just so happens that job was a time of healing for me after a decade of burning the candle at both ends for far too long.
- It just so happens this Passare thing came along and my name came to the table.
- It just so happens Todd reached out to me once again.
- It just so happens I wouldn’t be required to move my family to take the position at Passare.
- It just so happens Kelly Gilgenbach and I connected like brothers.
- It just so happens that I have been with Passare for over two years now!
- It just so happens, it just so happens, it just so happens! Only God!
Above the surface this story sounds like a lot of coincidental happenings. But under the surface all you can say is “Only God!”
Friends, I urge you to look under the surface to see God’s providence and see how God is orchestrating, moving, and stirring opportunities for each of us. It’s not just happening, but rather, God is in all of this, and many steps ahead of you.
Thank you, Kris, the DIG board, and the entire team for allowing me to have this amazing and unique opportunity.
– Nick