Things I Wish They Had Told Me...

Though I am still quite wet behind the ears in this workistry of mine, I'm getting used to the days that bring surprises and new skills I am supposed to acquire that I didn't know were a prerequisite for the position. Yet, there are a few things I wish they had told me in Divinity School to prepare me a little better for this:

• Always bring a change of clothes. You will regularly get covered in dust while rummaging around in dark corners of the church and hall, and even though you spend the morning sweating and your black pants have turned light grey with layers of dust and dirt, you still have to look presentable to meet representatives from area churches of all different denominations in the afternoon.
• You will regularly have to feed 55 people on a budget of $15.
• You need to have the skills and knowledge of an interior designer, a party planner, a caterer, a mind reader, a counselor, a physician, a computer technician, a schoolteacher, a mental health worker, a cheerleader, a secretary, an expert shopper, a design graphics expert, a banker, a caretaker, a lawyer, a diplomat, a warehouse stocker and a host of other job descriptions I am still uncovering, in addition to your ministerial talents and theological background.
• There are such things as 12 day work weeks in the ecclesial world.
• The ecclesial world can be just as ruthless as the corporate world. Trust no one. Except Him, of course.