Today’s scripture: Romans 11:17-24 (NRSV) (The Message) (KJV) What might God be saying to me?
My thoughts (Vivian Wyatt):
“You, though a wild olive shoot, have been grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing sap from the olive root.” ~Romans 11:17
When my mother died, I was at loose ends. I had taken care of her for seven years and the only time I was away from home was when she had a home health care aide to stay with her between the hours of 7am and 7pm Monday through Friday, allowing me to go to work. I really didn’t know what to do with all the freedom I had when she passed.
It was six months after her death before I stopped looking at my watch to see if I needed to be heading home to get there by 7. It was 10 months after her death that I figured out that I didn’t want to be an accountant any longer and that I didn’t want to stay in Virginia.
As a friend told me, I was beginning a new Act and it was time for a new Scene. I agreed.
I decided to go to seminary because I had so many questions that my denomination was not answering. I decided to go to seminary in Indiana because I was looking for a school that did not have a conservative leaning. I have a conservative background and I was looking for a new perspective, another way of looking at Scripture.
As I was filling out the application to attend the Earlham School of Religion (ESR), I immediately and without hesitation selected Pastoral Care and Counseling as my ministry emphasis; Pastoral Ministry never crossing my mind. But I had a great clearness committee who gave me good advice. 
I was told that I had put God in a box; I needed to take a preaching class and I needed to do my supervised ministry at a church. Reluctantly, even hesitantly, I agreed to those recommendations as it never occurred to me that I would be a pastor.
So why am I telling you all of this? Because when I read “You, though a wild olive shoot,” I felt Paul was talking directly to me about me. I had not belonged to a denomination for some time and did not believe that I would find one that fit me. I had not heard of Metropolitan Community Churches until I met my friend, David Zier, at ESR. I told him that I didn’t know where I was going to do my supervised ministry because I didn’t know of a church that would accept my theology or me theirs. He suggested, throwing me a lifeline, “try doing it at Jesus MCC.” I am so grateful that he made that suggestion and that Jesus MCC said yes to my internship. Because now, I am grafted in and I share in the nourishing sap that flows from LifeJourney Church.
Thought for the day: The advantage of grafting is that each part of the grafted tree retains its original makeup. The lime branch though grafted onto a lemon tree still produces limes; but together both parts are healthier and stronger. If you are struggling with where you belong, look for that place where you can be grafted in.
We encourage you to include a time of prayer with this reading. If you need a place to get started, consider the suggestions on the How to Pray page.