Ordained...finally.

My wife and I finally received our ordination last Tuesday night with the Assemblies of GOD in Oklahoma City before a whole bunch of people.
It was quite a significant step for us; for you see we were not even supposed to be ministry types growing up. I was so shy, reserved and would throw up with even the thought of standing up in front of people, let alone having to talk to them. My wife, well being in the in front of people never bothered her, but the idea of being a "pastor" never really was a thought she dwelt on. But GOD had other things in mind as he called us after we both had careers, children and car and house payments. We filled out our applications in the summer of 1998 and received a provisional certificate granting us credentials as long as we completed our "training" in the next two years. We did finally complete our training on the 23rd month, just in time, and stayed that way for almost 8 years. According to the timeline given to ministers, we were supposed to move up to a higher level of credentialing in the next two years but we are a little slow, it took us six to move on but once we got going we got our liscense and two years later our ordination.
I kind of poo pooed the idea getting ordained. I mean right now I am a senior pastor, leader of people; all ordination would do is give me something else to hang on my wall and cost me a few more bucks at the end of the year to renew my credentials. Oh and it also relieved me of the responsibility to attend the annual sectional ministers insititute that is mandatory for all credential holders that are not ordained, that was probably my most driving factor in it all.
But what I found out is receiving ordination was much more emotional that I thought it would be. As we got closer to the service time I felt myself getting more and more nervous, why I have no idea, they had already told me I was good, had my interview and had all the requirements covered but I still got nervous. All it was to be was a ceremony. We would get our names called, shake the district superintendant's hand, have him whisper in our ears, "good job" and then go and sit back down. no biggie. But when it came time that our names were called, when we walked across that stage a sense of honor came over me. Not the proud type of honor, but the "I can't believe that this is happening to me" type of honor. I am not something special, I don't have thousands of followers, I am not a great orator, writer or singer, I am just me, ordinary. So I walked hand in hand with my wife toward our leadership who placed a mantle on our shoulders, whispered in our ears and hugged our necks and we walked off to the side of the stage. I think it was then that it hit me. I looked out into the crowd and I saw my kids smiling at me. Even my youngest who had his Nintendo DS had taken a game break to watch the action of his Mom and Dad. My older ones (the ones who can't get away with not paying attention) were even smiling at us. My Father in Law was about to burst his buttons as his daughter and his no good son in law were receiving this high honor. My associate pastor and his wife, my youth pastor, my music pastor and his wife, my Mom and my Aunt who came in from Texas to witness this event and a mature couple from our church were all sitting there clapping for us as we were honored. It wasn't necessarily the honor from the district council, the words of praise from our fearless leader of the state's assemblies, or even the prayer of support given from our good friend and presbytrer Arliss Moon at the close of the service as he annointed us with oil and prayed over us that gave me a shudder down my spine and caused my eyes to fill with tears. It was the faces of those that love us, shining with pride over their pastors who were receiving a piece of paper and a draped cloth around their necks that brought tears to my eyes and filled me with such humility and honor I have seldom felt.
You may now call me your most honored revered ordained ambassador of the gospel when you see me... yeah I think the humility has worn off... :-)