Brett's Discernment

This blurry picture is from just outside Lancaster city. Maybe it's a good metaphor for today - I'm on the road, getting used to my surroundings as they become a fraction clearer each day.
I live in Lancaster now. For real. For the whole year. It is hard to adjust my brain to this. I have now tried for the first time shoo fly pie, whoopie pies, and have heard about many other PA Dutch specialties. I have picked up on a slightly different accent, heard phrases like "ret" (sp?) up your room (i.e. clean it).
There is nothing negative to say, I am just very slowly getting used to the idea that I am actually on internship, and I am actually leading this congregation, mostly alone. I really appreciate the help and advice that has been given from my supervisor and the previous/outgoing intern. But overall, I am still getting my bearings. I am still sticking with and chewing over the forest metaphor I mentioned in the last post.
I have been thinking about some of the ways in which this internship is more like a 1-year first call. I have realized, even just a little bit, how I now understand how on first call it takes at least a year to get the lay of the land and context before making changes. There is so much to take in.
Each day, I am surprised in small or big ways by God's grace in places I didn't expect. I am learning more about myself, definitely more about my growing edges but also some things I am maybe better at than I thought I'd be.
I am working on writing/finishing my sermon today, a little behind previous weeks as I was sick on Monday and took the day to myself. I was just taken aback when I opened my folder on my computer with my sermons and saw the files - pentecost 6, pentecost 7, pentecost 8 . . . Preaching weekly . . . And here at the beginning it is hard to imagine but slowly becoming more real that someday this list will be much longer, and then in three years, I will revisit these same texts, God willing with an ordination and call to preach!
Hmmm. All these things are gift.

Peace+