Episode Details

When Your Calling Isn't What You Expected

Wisdom Revisited with Debbie Henne

What happens when the calling you've carried for years begins taking a shape you never imagined?

When Debbie Henne first joined The Main Thing Podcast in October 2022, she shared a piece of wisdom that resonated with our listeners. Nearly four years later, she's back, and life has taken some fascinating turns.

Debbie is an author, songwriter, podcaster and Christian minister. She's also a woman whose understanding of her own calling has been challenged in unexpected ways. One of the biggest surprises? A new ministry that's taking her into virtual worlds, where people gather, build friendships and sometimes spend more time than they do in the physical world.

In this special Wisdom Revisited conversation, Skip and Debbie explore creativity, faith, fear, and what happens when the future asks us to reconsider who we thought we were meant to become.

And, of course, they'll revisit the wisdom Debbie shared four years ago. Has it stood the test of time? Or has experience given her something new to carry forward?

Wisdom Resources to Explore

Deborah Henne's Website https://deborahhenne.com/ Explore Debbie's writing, music, podcast and ministry.

Debbie's Original Appearance — Episode 78 https://themainthingpodcast.com/season-four-brings-wisdom-to-your-door/ Find Debbie's October 2022 appearance in our Season Four archive.

J.Q. Dickinson Salt-Works https://www.jqdsalt.com/ Our episode sponsor produces hand-harvested salt from an ancient ocean beneath West Virginia's Kanawha Valley. Use promo code THEMAINTHING for 15% off.

Why This Episode Matters

Sometimes the hardest part of a new chapter isn't learning something new. It's letting go of the picture we've carried of how our lives were supposed to unfold.

Debbie had a clear sense of her calling from childhood. She imagined a future that would take her from church to church, sharing her faith through teaching, writing and music. Instead, she's now helping build a faith community in digital spaces, connecting with people who might never enter a traditional church.

Her experience raises a question worth considering, whatever our beliefs or stage of life: What if the next meaningful chapter requires us to rethink the role we've imagined for ourselves?

This conversation offers a fresh perspective on change, identity, courage and the possibility of discovering purpose in unexpected places.

A Memorable Wisdom Quote

"But there's a real person on the other side of that cartoon image, and I can hear their voice real time." — Debbie Henne

What You'll Discover

• Why Debbie believes creativity isn't limited to artists, writers and musicians
• How she balances an unusually full life of family, professional work and creative pursuits
• What it took for Debbie to embrace an aspect of her calling she initially resisted
• Why she traded an expected path in traditional ministry for an unconventional digital community
• What virtual coffee shops, gamers and online friendships can teach us about human connection
• How Debbie's understanding of fear, forgiveness and personal boundaries has developed over the past four years

About Our Wise Guest: Debbie Henne

Debbie Henne is a speech-language pathologist, author, songwriter, podcast host and Christian minister b