by Madelynn Keselburg on August 01, 2024
In high school I often worried about the future. The question, “what are you doing when you graduate?” terrified me. What I didn’t know at the time was God was working behind the scenes opening and closing doors for me to lead me right where I needed to be and was teaching me, “what is calling”?
Softball Player to a Mid-Term Missionary: Discovering My Identity
I grew up playing competitive softball. It infiltrated every aspect of my life from exclusively wearing tournament shirts or having to say no to sleepovers because I had a game the next day. It was my identity. Who would I be if I wasn’t playing softball? At the time I couldn’t imagine the Lord shutting the door for me to quit softball, my senior year of high school but for multiple reasons that is exactly what happened. I was lost, confused, sad, and ultimately didn’t know who I was. This deconstruction of my identity cleaned the slate for me to rediscover with the Lord who He said I was. After I graduated, I went to Discipleship Training School through the program Youth With A Mission (YWAM). The design of the school was 3 months learning how to know God and then 3 months of making Him known. I got to experience firsthand that I am a daughter of God, what I do does not define me, I am fully and completely loved by Him. Then out of the overflow of this discovery, I was able to share that with others who did not know they are a child of God and there is a Savior who died and rose again for them.
I Have to Go Share the Good News: My Plans vs. God’s Plan
The Discipleship Training School ended in March of 2020. Does that ring a bell? I came home and had to live isolated. Churches were not meeting in person and masks became the new normal. I desired to go back and do another school with YWAM so I applied, and the school would get canceled because borders were closed. Then I applied for another school and guess what… it got canceled. It was almost comical how many shut doors I ran into in this season, although frustrating and confusing at the time.
But again, the Lord was leading me to where I needed to be. I met Mackenzie Matthews, and she invited me to a 15-week Missions class called Perspectives. I didn’t know it at the time but saying “yes” to this would change the trajectory of my plans and desires. Perspectives walked us through the Biblical basis of Missions and how we are to participate. Each week the passion I had to share the Good News of Jesus Christ grew and after what I heard I knew my life would never be the same. We have the privilege to participate in God’s redemptive plan since the very beginning of Genesis to Revelation, to see His people be reconciled back to Himself. I thought that meant I would pack all my things and live across the world but our plans, although good, are not always aligned with what the Lord has planned for us. Instead of moving across the world God kept me right where I was, at Timberline. I said yes to a summer internship with the Missions Office. Which then led me to say yes to being the Missions Admin. Which then led me to saying yes to being the Missions Director.
Reflecting on the last 4 years: What is Calling?
The season working at Timberline stretched me, challenged me, taught me, and formed me into the person that I am. Gratitude doesn’t seem like a good enough word to describe how I feel. A question I have had to wrestle with is now as my season at Timberline Church is ending and a new season of being a stay-at-home mom begins, is my calling still the same? My journey the last 4 years has showed me that calling is not determined by our current situation but rather an invitation to say “yes” to God and what He places before you. Seasons and circumstances may change but He still wants to use me and you to spread His Good News to every Nation! My challenge to you is to live with palms open and ask God how He wants to use you to participate in His redemptive plan.
If you want to dive a little deeper into my story you can listen to the LET LOVE LIVE Podcast episode HERE!
