On January 2,2020, I learned that my department head had passed away, which filled me with sadness. On January 3rd, I received a call from my dean acknowledging this major loss to the department and asked me to become interim department head. After discussion and prayer with my wife, Beth, and then my friend Rob, I reluctantly agreed.
I like being a professor and had no aspirations to enter into an administrative role. Honestly, the thought of leading a department scared the crap out of me. I felt inadequate and unprepared to meet the demands of this role. But, what Beth and Rob helped me remember as I was making this decision was that I wanted to grow in my walk with Jesus. God was handing me a great opportunity to trust him in new ways.
It is clear from the Bible that one method of growth that God uses on those He loves is to remove them from what is comfortable in order to draw them closer to Him. God called Abraham to leave his home in Mesopotamia to found a new nation (Gen. 12). He called Joshua to lead the Israelites into conflict to possess the Promised Land (Joshua 1). He called Ruth to leave her home in Moab and go with her mother-in-law Naomi (Ruth 1). He called Esther to become Queen of Persia to eventually save the exiled Jews (Esther 2-9). He called each of Jesus’ disciples out of their homes to live as nomads (Gospels).
Question 1 of the Westminster Shorter Catechism asks,
“What is the chief end of man (people)?”.
The response is,
“Man’s (People’s) chief end is to glorify God, and enjoy him forever.”
A person’s main purpose in life is to enjoy and glorify God. My experience is — though this is the best thing for me — I do not come about it easily or naturally. Glorifying and enjoying God requires that I trust Him. And trusting Him is not that easy nor naturally. I think that’s why God gives us opportunities to grow by challenging us.
Since I felt so inadequate about being department head, I knew I needed God’s help, God’s wisdom and the prayers and support of my God’s people. I immediately sought and have been seeking these.
As a result, I’ve experienced a new closeness with God and seen His provisions in my life. Additionally, I got to serve my colleagues and let them know by word and deed that I cared about them, wanted to support them and encourage them — especially in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Thanks be to God that He cares deeply about each of us to bring growth in our lives through challenge and change!
Chip Appel
Natural Resources Management & Environmental Sciences
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo