Behind Schedule
by Bart Denny Every now and then, I find myself wondering about the roads not taken . What if I had finished college sooner? What if I had become a naval officer earlier? What if I had entered ministry at a younger age? What if I had attended a traditional residential seminary? What if I had stayed in the Navy longer? I suspect most people eventually ask some version of those questions. What if? We compare the life we actually lived with the life we imagined. We think about opportunities that never materialized, plans that changed, mistakes we made, and doors that never opened. For much of my life, I carried a persistent feeling that I was behind schedule. I completed my bachelor's degree later than I had hoped. I became a naval officer later than I had hoped. I entered ministry later than many pastors. Even my graduate education followed a winding path. Once I finally took the plunge, one master's degree led to another. Then another. Eventually, I e...