Ryan's Ramblings

“I will follow you, Lord; but…”
 —Luke 9:61, NIV

I used to be an elementary school teacher. A few years ago, I sent out an email to let my colleagues know I’d be leaving the classroom to become an associate pastor. They were all kind, supportive, and excited for me — but inside, I was feeling the weight of the moment.

I loved teaching and working with students. I’d spent a life doing it. And there’s a certain security that comes with the job — a steady paycheck, a predictable schedule, summers off, and a rhythm to the year you can set your watch by. 

Walking away from all that to jump into full-time ministry? That’s a leap.

Spencer worked in the cafeteria and delivered student breakfasts to the classrooms every morning before school. For a couple of years, he stopped by my room almost daily with three trays of food and a cheerful comment about sports, movies, or whatever holiday break was coming next.

One morning after he heard I was leaving, he came into my room and said, “So, you’re not gonna be here next year? It’s sure been great to work with you.”

And then came the line that got me: “I think this decision could turn into something really great. Sometimes you just gotta take a leap of faith.”

I laughed—not at him, but with this sense that God had just spoken to me through him. There was something innocent, almost ironic, about being told that I needed to take a leap of faith… into a job that is all about faith!

But Spencer was right. I was standing on the edge of a decision that scared me a bit — leaving the safety of the known for the wide-open unknown of what God was calling me to do.

In those months leading up to my first day at the church, I sensed God whispering, I’m preparing you. I’m using everything I’ve taught you to get you ready for what’s next. Trust Me, even when you can’t see what’s coming.

Looking back now, I can see how true that was. God has been near. He’s been faithful. And He’s used every season of my life to prepare me for this one.

Oswald Chambers put it this way:

“If you’re going to do anything worthwhile, sometimes you have to risk everything and leap.”

That’s what I did. And God caught me.

Serving as a pastor has been such a joy — more rewarding and fulfilling than I ever imagined. In the Lord, the safest way forward isn’t always the most secure. The life — and death — of Jesus show us that God’s way can be difficult, dangerous, even costly, but it’s always good.

Maybe you’re standing on the edge of something right now — a decision, a calling, a change that feels uncertain. Jesus still says, “Follow Me.” (Matthew 4:19) And He still promises, “I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20, NLT).

Hebrews 11:6 reminds us that “without faith it is impossible to please God” (NIV).

Life was never meant to be lived playing it safe — not in a world as broken as this one. Real security comes from trusting that the guiding, sustaining arms of Jesus are strong enough to catch you and keep you.

Sometimes you just gotta take a leap of faith.