Why you should never say never

Growing up, we would pass through Houston on the way to my aunt's house in Texas City. We would always say, "We'll never live here!" But then, the last half of my junior year in high school, we moved from my beautiful, quiet, peaceful, quaint East Texas small town to the concrete, noisy, busy, modern life of the city! Never say never! I thought I was going to die! But you know, I actually learned a thing or two, and made one or two good friends. I still hated the city, but I didn't die!

After Keith and I married and he finished seminary, our first church was in Lubbock. I have always been a "kid person" so naturally I volunteered to work with kids and Mary Ballard was my first, of many, mentors. She was awesome! Everything was going great. I had many opportunities to work with kids, and when we moved to Huntsville, they had a place for me in GAs, but they only had a Sunday School opening in 3rd grade. I didn't "do" older kids. My thing was the younger ones. I could never teach above 2nd grade! Never say never! I tried it and I loved it!

Everything was going great in 3rd grade and GAs; then we moved to Duncanville. They had a full slate of GA workers (can you believe that?) so they asked me to start an Acteens group. But I didn't "do" teenagers. I didn't know how to talk to teenagers. I could never do that! Never say never! I did love missions, so I gave it a try. I've been teaching Acteens now for 20 years and hope there is at least another 20 more in me.

They also asked me to leave the young adult Sunday School class I was helping with, that I had grown to love, to go teach 6th Sunday School. Well, I had fallen in love with 3rd grade in Huntsville, but that could never happen again. 6th grade – that's just going too far! Never say never! Some of my most fulfilled days of ministry were in this 6th grade class. They are so fun! They're not scary at all.

I was planning on teaching my grandsons in 6th grade (they are only 2 ½ and 1 year old, so it was going to be a while), but then they asked me to teach the college group. What? I'm not "cool", I don't "do" Facebook, or Twitter, or Insta-whatever it is. I could never teach this age group at such a crucial time in their lives. Never say never! I just finished my first year with them, and you know, I love it!

God has certainly asked me to do things I never thought I could do. But He has always been faithful to equip me for the task at hand. As a minister's wife, you may be asked to do things you never thought you could do, but trust Him, He is always faithful "to equip you with everything good that you may do His will . . . " (Hebrews 13:21). And, as you are obedient to do what He says to do, you just may find some new areas of ministry to love you never thought you could.

Vicki Brister has been married to Keith for 36 years. Keith has been the senior pastor at FBC Duncanville for 20 years and in the ministry for 35 years. Their son Chris, and his wife, Cara Jane, and son, Bo are church planters in Norman, Ok. Their daughter, Katie and her husband, Daniel, and sons, Ben and Luke, are active members of FBC Duncanville. Vicki loves to be outdoors and spending time with Keith and her grandsons.