Where the Lord Wants Me

I grew up listening to summertime evangelists under insufferably hot tents. I was fascinated by the pictures of children sitting on Jesus’ lap, the glory of His second coming, Adam and Eve in an un-sinful garden, and of course, the serpent in the tree tempting Eve. But the pictures that intrigued me the most were of Jesus and His disciples and the bright, brilliant pictures of His return! It may have been because the elders of my church seemed much like disciples and were held in high esteem.

They seemed more relatable to my juvenile mind.

For many years, my father was a deacon.

He often turned down eldership. I couldn’t understand in my seven-year-old mind why he made this choice. I was a little girl who often saw my peers with more than I had —they seemed to have prettier dresses and new patent leather shoes— and I felt that if my daddy became an elder, that would give me a step up and more prestige.

But Daddy would always say, “I’m where the Lord wants me.” I was in college before he accepted the position of elder.

He became one of the church’s most noted elders, serving until his death at eighty-two. Fast-forward to my adulthood.

Marriage. Three beautiful children.

Great professional accomplishments.

Financial rewards. Restlessness. Backsliding.

Forgetting those summer crusades. Losing faith.

So many valleys of doubt and hills of renewed faith are a part of my journey. Now, it is so beautifully clear to me what Daddy meant and what he was experiencing. Becoming an elder was not something I sought after either.

There was so much opposition, mostly by women, for all kinds of reasons. The scrutinization and demeaning statements drove me as far away from this position as I could get. God was still grooming me, and I wasn’t ready.

I still cared about what people said.

My faith and trust in Him grew.

I learned to answer His call, His will, and His way.

I’ve been an elder for more than four years now.

I am so blessed, and it’s such a joy to be doing God’s will, no matter the title it’s given.

Edna Thomas Taylor