To be a pastor’s kid is like being invited to a magnificent feast. The table is laden with delights, each dish carefully prepared to nourish and satisfy. No one can force you to partake, but they can show you the beauty of the feast, name every dish, and equip you with the tools to eat until your soul is full, again and again. Yet, many pastor’s kids sit at this table, starving, and walk away. The wine spoils, and the veal has gone bad—or so it seems. Still, deep down, they know whose table it is. They know the joy He finds in sharing it with them. And so, despite their hunger or disillusionment, they can return—without shame, without guilt—and savor His presence once more.
Every pastor’s kid’s story is unique. However, they’re people like everyone else. Like generations before them, they stand at the edge of victory or destruction. For ministry children, they risk great rewards and really – tragedy. And yet, God is continually working to use adversity for our good because He loves us. So, every journey has the potential to be a redemption story.
Many pastors’ kids, like others, have a journey that mirrors the story of the prodigal son (Luke 15). We wander, often painfully, before finding our way back. But in return, we discover the beginning as if for the first time—those familiar smells and rich soul foods that we hunger and thirst for, more vivid and powerful. Now, we encounter the feast with greater fervor and depth. It’s a paradox: years of hardship and failure condensed into a crucible of transformation, forging a faith that burns bright and true.
Though the path is steep, and the pain often more than I can bear myself, I find myself grateful. Being the child of a preacher taught me lessons about my Lord and Savior that I might never have learned otherwise. While some people coast through life without wrestling with God, ministry children are born into the fire. They are invited into something bigger, beyond and greater than themselves. And for that, as hard as it has been, I am profoundly thankful.
M
this article was originally written for pastorskids.org1
micahemerson.ca 