Closing and Opening Doors

Before coming to Wesley, I had this image of opening and closing doors in my mind. When doors close, I’m told that others open. Before I started at Wesley, I dropped out of candidacy because I was afraid of being outed in my home conference at the time. A door had closed, yet there was Wesley. An open door, inviting me in.

Throughout my time at Wesley, I’ve been challenged and stretched. I’ve been invited to grow, and I’ve grown by necessity. I’ve learned a lot and I’m thankful. As my time here ends, I look for new doors. New adventures to explore, new challenges to overcome. The UMC’s door is still closed, bolted shut even, but throughout seminary, I’ve had the privilege to experience a God greater than a denomination and the walls it builds. Wesley encourages me to think outside the box, to let God work how God works and not how I, or anyone else, thinks God should work. 

I’ve learned through my classes and through relationships with the faculty, and I’ve learned through my peers. I’ve witnessed colleagues rise to challenges, discover, and create something new. They change the lives of everyone they encounter. The people I have been privileged to meet energize me. Seeing the work that my fellow students do pushes me to be better, for my neighbor, for the world, and for myself. 

When I graduated college, I had an image of the world painted on my graduation cap. I was excited. I was moving to DC--a new part of the country, a new world to me--and there was so much hope on the horizon. I was following my call and taking a step forward in following it. Approaching Wesley’s graduation, the world seems different, smaller and more complacent than the last time around. Doors to follow my call to be a pastor in the UMC are closed, for now. Yet still I come to this graduation with excitement as I prepare to step out into this world once more and do something new.

I’m not sure what the future holds, but I’m learning what being open to new doors looks like. I’m reminded that life is precious and not to waste the doors that are open to me. I have learned a lot over these past few years and I can’t wait to see what is next.

Sammy Klipsch is part of the Admissions Recruitment team and a graduating seminarian at Wesley.

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