Longing for certainty

One of the saints in my life died recently. I knew about Presbyterian pastor Harry Geissinger because of his prominence in the Pennsylvania town of my youth. But then one day I met him for a lunch meeting—one that I'll never forget.

I was trying to decide whether I would continue on the path toward ordained ministry. Big questions loomed. Was I going to go through with this? Could I be certain that the path I was on was the right one? Had I explored all the other possibilities?

I explained to my pastor that I wasn't sure about my decision. Finishing the degree, I reasoned, would lead to ordination and a "career path." Those ought to come with a degree of certainty, but I wasn't sure—and to say yes to this path was to say no to so many other possibilities. My pastor suggested I talk with Harry Geissinger.