0023 - The Weight - Hannah Long - “Everyone is Called”

Show Notes:

To be “called by God” is something that we often think of as exclusive to those who are called to pastoral ministry. Christianity has plenty of resources and narratives for those who feel called to this realm of work. However, the vast majority of faithful Christians never find themselves in the pulpit, but rather working in jobs that are often relegated as “secular.” Does God not give them a calling to respond that is just as important? 

Hannah Long exemplifies what it means to be called by God, but it’s not through a vocation that you might expect: she’s a flight attendant with American Airlines. It might seem like a far cry from the calling of a pastor, but Hannah shows us through her testimony and her life that the two callings might not be as different as you may think. Furthermore, her job is not just something she randomly fell into. It’s a place where she specifically felt called to be, especially during a season of uncertainty in the airline industry.

In this episode of The Weight, Hannah joins us to reflect on what a healthy understanding of calling looks like and how it is a part of every Christian’s life, not just those with “Reverend” in front of their name. Using her own calling to the airline industry, she discusses the importance of recognizing that God makes every person different and that comparison is the thief of the purpose and joy that each individual is called to. She also speaks to the risk at hand for her industry due to COVID-19, and how her calling has become even more prevalent in the midst of it. 

Painted here is the scene from Hannah’s dream that led her to accept her calling

Full Transcript

Chris McAlilly : 0:00

I'm Chris McAlilly.

Cody Hickman : 0:01

And I'm Cody Hickman.

Chris McAlilly : 0:02

And we're here today on The Weight.

Cody Hickman : 0:04

We are. So you're hearing me again today. No more Eddie. We kicked him out for good. He's gone.

Chris McAlilly : 0:09

He's gone. Really? I didn't know that we were doing that.

Cody Hickman : 0:11

I don't think so. I think he's coming back.

Chris McAlilly : 0:12

I think we should bring him back, maybe, but this what you did pretty good this time.

Cody Hickman : 0:16

Hey, thanks, man.

Chris McAlilly : 0:17

Yeah, I feel like you're

Cody Hickman : 0:18

I came out from behind the board and the camera. And here we are.

Chris McAlilly : 0:20

Yep. So who are we talking to today?

Cody Hickman : 0:22

So this week, we're talking to a friend of mine, Hannah Long. She is from Texas. She is currently a flight attendant for American Airlines. So you might be wondering, why is she on this podcast? And she's on the podcast because she is just a really great example of living your faith every day in your workplace.

Chris McAlilly : 0:44

She has clearly a deep faith. I was compelled by her description of her journey through her 20s, at a time where a lot of people are struggling to find their next step, particularly when there are some jobs that aren't available or people are furloughed or it's uncertain, the economic realities are uncertain. She found some clarity, not in her major, in her kind of line of educational preparation for a job. She found it in this different way. And her faith story, I think is one that you want to listen to very carefully and closely. Because it leads her to a place of real, I think, confidence in living out her faith in the world.

Cody Hickman : 1:31

Yeah, it's incredibly encouraging to listen to the story that she has, and she's just an encouraging person. She's, that's part of what she does so well is to build up the body of Christ. And so I think it's... You're gonna be encouraged listening to it. She's such a sweet person. I think you really enjoy the episode. So stick it out. Listen to the end. Let us know what you think about it. Make sure you share it, subscribe, and all that other good stuff.

Eddie Rester : 1:59

[INTRO] Let's be honest, there are some topics that are too heavy for 20 minutes sermon. There are issues that need conversation, not just explanation.

Chris McAlilly : 2:07

We believe that the church is called to engage in a way that honors the weightiness and importance of these topics for how we live faithfully today. We'll cover everything from art to mental health, social injustice to the future of the church.

Eddie Rester : 2:18

If it's something that culture talks about, we need to be talking about it, too. [END INTRO]

Cody Hickman : 2:24

Welcome to The Weight, everyone.

Chris McAlilly : 2:28

What, who is this?

Cody Hickman : 2:28

This is Cody, right. Yeah. So Eddie's not here. We kicked Eddie out for the day. And I'm joining in. We have a friend of mine, Hannah Long with us. Welcome, Hannah.

Hannah Long : 2:40

Hello!

Cody Hickman : 2:41

Hey, hey! So yeah, I actually don't know if you know this or not, Hannah, but I'm actually not one of the hosts of this podcast in a typical setting. But today, I'm here.

Hannah Long : 2:52

Oh, I'm excited.

Chris McAlilly : 2:54

We're so excited to have you on the podcast. Thanks for coming on. Where are you today?

Hannah Long : 2:59

At my home in Sulphur Springs, Texas, which is about an hour east of Dallas.

Chris McAlilly : 3:05

Are you a Texan?

Hannah Long : 3:07

I am. Born and raised and very proud.

Chris McAlilly : 3:10

Nice.

Cody Hickman : 3:11

Are you, are you an A&M person or a Texas person?

Hannah Long : 3:15

No, no.

Cody Hickman : 3:16

Or neither?

Hannah Long : 3:17

No, I was a rebel in my family. I went to Texas Tech.

Cody Hickman : 3:21

Okay, I knew that. Yeah, that's right. That's right.

Hannah Long : 3:25

But I come from a full family of Aggies and Sam Houston Bearkats. So, of course, you know, I'm given a hard time. A lot.

Cody Hickman : 3:37

Well, you know, Tech's, alright, I guess. We're so happy that you are here with us today. And we're just gonna kind of have a conversation and get to know you, if that's alright.

Hannah Long : 3:51

Absolutely.

Cody Hickman : 3:53

Cool. Well, let's start. Just tell us a little bit about who you are, like, kind of give us an introduction. Who is Hannah Long?

Hannah Long : 4:00

Yes, well, I'm Hannah and I'm married to Coby. We've been together for 10 years, and we've been married for almost three in the fall. I studied media strategies in college. I started a photography business when I was a sophomore in high school. And I carried that out until the Lord called me to become a flight attendant. I currently work for American Airlines, and I've been doing that a little over two years. For the first year I was based in Charlotte. So I was commuting back and forth from Dallas. And I got based in Dallas about a year ago, so I'm very glad to be home.

Chris McAlilly : 4:44

What is flying like right now? I mean, I've been not only not traveling in a plane, but not really traveling at all. How are things? I guess we're... let's see what is today? Today is July the 23rd. So what is your schedule looking like these days?

Hannah Long : 5:05

Well, I kind of have a different view because it kind of depends on the airline or the airport you're talking about. So, for me, it's very busy. So American, I believe, is the only airline that has allowed a 100% capacity. And so pretty much every plane I've worked for the past month has been at about 100% full. And so other people may have different experiences if they're flying with another airline that blocks off the middle seats. And also Dallas is currently the busiest airport in the United States. And so that's where I fly out of. So it's been very busy for me, obviously not pre-COVID levels. But right when COVID hit, it was, like, very scary. I mean, you'd walk in the airport, and it was just a ghost town. I mean, every restaurant was closed, barely anyone was flying. I had one trip where we went to Cabo, and there was zero people on the plane. And then we brought five people back.

Cody Hickman : 6:09

That's nuts.

Chris McAlilly : 6:10

Wow.

Hannah Long : 6:10

So it really has varied.

Cody Hickman : 6:14

Man.

Chris McAlilly : 6:14

How is your... I guess, how are you feeling about it at this point? How is your experience of going to the airport for work and flying? I guess how are you feeling?

Hannah Long : 6:28

How am I feeling about with COVID and the airline and what's gonna happen with the industry?

Chris McAlilly : 6:33

Yeah, I think that it's a topic that, you know... So I've heard, I've listened to some, you know... So I get to give you a little bit of context. My aunt is a... I guess my grandparents started a bus company. We were in travel. They started a charter bus company back in the 80s. And so just the travel business. I mean, I feel like airlines are just a totally different level. But yeah, it's just that the travel industry in general, I assume, is just one of those industries that would be affected by kind of the broader pandemic. And it seems like American, I'm sure has, you know, a lot of great safety protocols to feel comfortable bringing everybody back onto the plane. I guess, from your perspective, what might I not know about? Just as a person who, I haven't been to an airport, in I guess,

Cody Hickman : 7:29

Six months!

Chris McAlilly : 7:30

Longer than that. It's been a long time. I guess, what are you seeing on a day-to-day basis?

Hannah Long : 7:35

Well, what you may not know... For one thing, the airplanes, they have a filtering system that's like hospitals. So people think, "Oh, the air," but it's actually being recirculated every 30 seconds, which I think is really amazing. At first, when COVID hit, I was a little scared because we didn't really know. We were... no one knew anything about this virus. My husband has asthma. So I was like, "Am I risking his life?" I mean, all I was hearing on the news were that people were dying. And now today, it's like the survival rate, it's at a 99% from what I've seen. But I had some friends encourage me, because I was going back and forth because the company offered leaves. And so that's why a lot of people ask me, "Are you flying the same exact amount?" And really, my answer is yes, because the government has, it's called the CARES Act, and they are funding the airlines right now until October 1. So obviously, the airlines had a surplus of money from the government. And they had a surplus of flight attendants. So what they did is they offered leaves. And they said, if you want to leave, we'll pay you this amount each month. You can do that. Or if you want to stay flying, you can have pretty much your original, your regular schedule. So I went back and forth. And I prayed about it. I had friends that were super encouraging to me and they said, "Hannah, you do what feels comfortable to you. But we believe that God has called you to this job." And I felt super encouraged by that. And then I just felt like in my prayer time, God just told me you're gonna go be a light in a dark place. And then the first time I got on the plane after that, I flew with the flight attendant was very down and out about the situation. And I was like, "Okay, God, I heard you correctly. I heard you clearly. I believe." And I got to encourage her, and I have many stories like that. From that one, they have followed. And so that has really fueled me as, oh, since the beginning. I haven't really thought about, "Oh, am I going to get sick?" because my stance is this: I was born to die, right? And so I'm not here on earth to defy death. I'm also going to be smart and use my brain. I'm not going to go lick doorknobs. But also I have to do my job. And if I'm supposed to die on this earth from COVID, because I believe God called me to still go to my job, as many other people in the world have to, then I guess that's just my life. And so that's really fueled me to just keep going and have a really positive attitude about it. But on the flip side of everyone asking, "Well, are you going to get to keep your job?" Well, the company has just rolled out, about a week ago, different retirement packages and leave options, 15-, 18-, and 21-month leaves. Or if those people don't take those, then they're gonna have to cut supposedly from 7-8,000 flight attendants. And again, that's where I'm just leaning on my faith and just saying, "Okay, God, if I get furloughed, I'm still a part of the company indefinitely." So if they didn't call us back for 5, 10 years I-- which I don't think will be the case--I'll still be a part of the company. And if that door for a season closes, then I'll just know that God has a new chapter for me. And I'll walk through it as best I can.

Cody Hickman : 11:14

Yeah. So I heard you say, you're talking about, you know, one particular story of that first time back on a flight and God putting someone in your path for you to kind of minister to and I want to come back to that, because I've seen you post and tell stories like that a lot. And that's part of the reason why I wanted to have you on the podcast, in particular, is because I know you have those stories. So we're gonna get into that. But another thing you said twice already is that you feel God has called you to be a flight attendant. And so that's, I'd like that, to push into that a little bit more. I think a lot of times when people use the word "calling," it's vocational ministry reference. It's, "I'm called to be a pastor" or like in my case, I'm called to be a worship leader and Creative Director in a church. And people don't talk about being called to, like, non-vocational ministry very much, but you use that language. So tell me about that. Tell me about your calling to to be a flight attendant.

Hannah Long : 11:55

Oh, I'm so excited to share this. So, like I said, my degree was in media strategies, and I had a photography business. So I just thought that... I was working for a graphic design firm in Lubbock. And then she moved into I was just working from home and she said that once I graduated that I would just work full time for her. And so I was like, okay, cool. I've got my life figured out. And I had been working for her about two years, and the fall semester of my senior year of college, I noticed that my graphic design work for her, it was slowing down. And kind of in the back of my head I was thinking, "I don't think she's going to be able to hire me full time once I graduate college in the spring," so I was kind of worried. I was very worried, and I was praying. I was like, "God," you know, "what am I going to do?" And I finished my finals for that fall semester, and I came to my now husband's parents' house for the Christmas break. And about a week in, I just, on a random day, I took a nap and had a dream. And nothing like this has ever happened to me in my life. And I had a dream that I was in an airport, and I split ways with my graphic design boss. And I walked out of the airport alone into, like, the Seattle, Washington kind of view with a beautiful blue lake and green trees and a dock that went out to a yellow canoe. And Coby, my husband, was sitting in it and as I stepped in it I heard an audible voice that said, "Be a flight attendant. Look up how to be a flight attendant." And so my eyes opened. And I was like, oh my gosh, you know, I have been praying for God to come to me and a dream or a vision because He does it in the Bible. And I immediately just got on my knees and I said, "God, if this is you, I want you to make it to me. I want you to make it so clear to me." I said, "I will never say a word to anyone until you verify this to me." I started thinking really, really fast. I'm like, "Wait, do I know any flight attendants?" Like, "would this have sparked a dream? Absolutely not. It's crazy, but anytime I had gotten onto a plane prior to that, I can't remember one flight attendant. I thought... I didn't think anything of them. I thought they were low-paid, uneducated. I didn't know it was a thing to think you know, where's that flight attendant going to be tonight? I mean, it had nowhere been in my mind. And so sometimes you dream about things that have been in your mind. Okay, maybe this is from God. So I wrote. I journaled out the dream, and I was like, "Okay, God," like, "reveal it to me. We'll see when that happens." So, Coby, he got off work and we went to a Christmas party that night. And there's about 200 people at this party. And this gentleman we're speaking to he looks at me and he says, "Hannah, you'd be a great flight attendant. Has anyone ever told you that?" And I was in shock. I just had tears in my eyes. I'm like, "No?" like, "I gotta use the restroom really fast." So I went in the bathroom, and I just, like, had a moment I was like, "Oh my gosh, like, God, I did not know that you would clarify this so quickly." And so on our way home from the party, I told Coby and, you know, it was scary because this town that he lived in at the time--that we now live in, Sulphur Springs--is about an hour and a half from the DFW Airport. And I mean, just not knowing anything about flight attendants or that lifestyle, I was like, "Am I gonna be... I could be based in another state. They say flight attendants are never home. How do you..." I mean, just all these questions. And I felt the heaviness of the enemy just like, oh, no, no, no, trying to shoot this down. And Coby told me, he was like, "Hannah, when God speaks to you, you've got to listen to Him. And He'll take care of you." And I was like, "I know. It's just scary. But this is still really exciting." You know, I had so many emotions. So I get back to college that spring semester, and I apply to Delta. And I did the assessment. I got through the first stage, and then the second stage was a video interview. And six weeks later, I got declined. And I really, I had such a peace because when you know that you know something... It reminded me. God reminded me of the story in Genesis when God told Abraham and Sarah that they were gonna have a baby. You know, it didn't happen the next day. And so I thought, well, maybe I'm not supposed to become a flight attendant for five years. Maybe this is just of part of God's faithfulness of me listening to Him, and just keeping on with trusting Him. And so I was really at peace. And the day after I graduated college, one of my good friends texted me and was like, "Hey, American Airlines just open today, and you need to apply." And I was like, "You know what, why not?" So I apply in May of 2017. And June of that year, I got a video interview with American. And that was it. And I did not hear from American until October 31. And so it was a long, long time of waiting. During that time. I was planning my wedding and I lived at home before I got married.

Cody Hickman : 17:43

Yeah, I was gonna say, that was right after your wedding, right?

Hannah Long : 17:45

Yes, it was. And so, we're preparing for this wedding and this life and I'm like, "What am I going to do?" And so I even started applying at some local jobs that fit my resume and my degree. I wasn't really hearing anything back, and I was just like, "okay, God, I gotta trust you." Well, the morning of October 31, I woke up, and I had realized that I'd had another dream. And it wasn't a picture, but it was just an audible voice saying, "If you can't... if you can trust me with you being a flight attendant, why can't you trust me that I'll give you a face-to-face interview?" And I remember cleaning or something in my house thinking, "you know, that's really true. Why can't I trust Him?" And that afternoon, I got an email saying, "This is American. We've been trying to contact you. This is our last attempt for a face-to-face interview." And I have been checking my email every single day.

Chris McAlilly : 18:42

As one does.

Hannah Long : 18:42

Yes, and so I emailed them like five different times. They said I had five business days, and we were, like, on day three, and I'd heard nothing. And if you're not a part of American, like, you're not an employee, you cannot get into their human resources, like, they don't put anything online. So I start thinking really hard, like, I've got to find someone that's connected to this company. So I remembered that one of my sorority sister's mom was a flight attendant. And so I contacted her and I was like, "Hey, is there any way you can talk to your mom?" And so she gave me her information. And I talked to her and she was like, "okay, honey, I'm going to call human resources." So she calls me back, and she's like, "okay, I talked to them, and you got lost in the system. But they have found you and they're going to be calling you this afternoon for a face-to-face interview. I was like, "Oh my gosh," like, "thank You, Lord, for providing her," and so I got the call. I went to my face-to-face interview, and it was an eight-to-five interview. I mean, it was very insane. I mean, you went from room to room. They watch you interact with people, they hold clipboards and they're, you know, calculating everything that you do and

Chris McAlilly : 20:02

The clipboard people. Those are the worst.

Cody Hickman : 20:11

You've gotta watch out for those.

Hannah Long : 19:55

you've got to do activities. Then you have to stand in a line and do, like, pageant-style questions. And then they brought me to this room. And it was just me and one lady. And she was like, "okay, so our flight attendants, they have to read PAs in the plane. Can you read this for me?" So I grabbed the piece of paper, and I clear my throat. And it says, "American Airlines would like to invite you to flight attendant training in the spring." And I just looked at her with the biggest eyes, and I just started crying. I was like, "You have no idea, like, God's faithfulness in this moment." I mean, because I had had the dream about being a flight attendant in December of 2016. And so that's, that's why I believe that I was called to be a flight attendant and the fruit from that has just followed. Whenever I was based in Charlotte, and that was very hard at times. I sometimes was at home maybe two days a week. I would just say, "God, are you sure?" Like, "are you sure this is what I'm supposed to be doing?" And then He would just send an angel. Someone that I worked with would just encourage me and just be so good to me. And I just knew like, "okay, like you were so gracious to answer my hundredth prayer, like, 'are you sure this is what you want me to do?'" And yeah, that's why I believe I was called to be a flight attendant.

Chris McAlilly : 21:16

I would love... It's a great story. And I think it's one that I hear repeated a lot. So we're in a college town, and we talk to a lot of young people who are really trying to figure their life out and trying to figure out what the next step is. And there's always a lot of uncertainty from, you know, you choose your major, and then you maybe get the first job, and it fits or doesn't, and then there's the second job and it either fits or doesn't. I think what's interesting about your story is what I hear in your story is you've received the Gospel from somewhere, and I wish you would maybe talk a little bit about that. Tell us a little bit about, I guess, what did church look like for you growing up? How did you come to an awareness of, you know, just the story of the Bible and then the way in which you describe it so eloquently in your own story. Where does that come from for you?

Hannah Long : 22:22

Oh, this story, I love to share it. So I grew up going to church. Didn't miss a Sunday. Unfortunately for me, I thought of God as a God in the clouds. I knew religion, but I didn't know a relationship with a living God. And when I was in between my sophomore and junior year of high school, a friend asked me in the summer if I wanted to go with his church, which was not the church that I went to, go on a mission trip with him that summer. And it was in Tupelo, Mississippi.

Chris McAlilly : 23:01

A lot of people need, including Cody Hickman,

Cody Hickman : 23:03

Need the Lord.

Chris McAlilly : 23:04

need the Lord in Tupelo, Mississippi. We both have, that's where I was born. That's where Cody and I have shared that in common. So we are intimately aware of the mission needs.

Hannah Long : 23:18

So I was super excited about a fun summer vacation. That's literally how I saw it. Isn't that how God works? I'm just like, "oh man, I'm just gonna get to go out of Texas. Gonna have so much fun." I remember my friend sending me a list, and it said things that you needed to bring. And one of them was a Bible and one of them was a journal. And like I said, I've been with my husband for 10 years. So I was with my mother-in-law. And I was telling her, you know, I'm going on this trip, and she was looking over the list. She's like, "do you have a Bible and a journal ready?" I was like, "Oh, no, I don't need that." I didn't have a Bible. And she was like, "No honey." Like, "You're going on a mission trip, you gotta have a Bible." So she takes me to get my first Bible and like, okay. Well, we get there to mission trip and Mr. Cody Hickman comes in and he's singing. And

Cody Hickman : 24:17

You heard the voice of an angel.

Hannah Long : 24:19

I really did. So, I didn't really care about Christian music. I didn't hear it a ton, but when I did, I was like, "This is so boring. I don't like this at all. Why would people ever listen to this?" But Cody, when he started singing, I literally looked over to my friend and I was like,

Cody Hickman : 25:01

Pay attention, Chris.

Hannah Long : 24:42

I was like, "He sounds like John Mayer." [LAUGHTER] And I, you know, and Cody looks so different from what my picture was. Like, I knew Christian music of, like, someone on a piano that was off key, you know? Cody's over here with his cool long hair and his cool tattoos and his earrings like... Oh, I was like, "he is the coolest person ever," like

Cody Hickman : 25:07

I think we're done with the podcast now.

Hannah Long : 25:12

like, I want to be his friend. That's the kind of people I want to hang around. And I remember even going up to Cody, I'm like, "do you have like," they probably didn't have Spotify then.

Cody Hickman : 25:22

No Spotify then.

Hannah Long : 25:23

But like, "are you on iTunes?" And you were like, "No, but I have some videos on YouTube." We took a bus from Texas and Mississippi and I listened to those YouTube. I know half a dozen views on YouTube.

Cody Hickman : 25:37

That's scary. That's scary.

Chris McAlilly : 25:38

We're gonna let the listener be aware that we're gonna get these in the show notes. Let's make a note of that.

Cody Hickman : 25:43

They're probably gone by now, I'm sure.

Chris McAlilly : 25:45

Let's get these YouTube clips on the show notes.

Hannah Long : 25:48

They're so good. They need to be put on Spotify.

Cody Hickman : 25:50

Aw man.

Hannah Long : 25:50

Cause I have to go to YouTube occasionally, you know to listen to them. But so, I didn't know it at the moment--I can now later put words to it--but God was obviously softening my heart. You know, I thought I was falling in love with Cody's voice. But really, I was falling in love with the Lord through worship. And along with that, after every night of the mission trip, the youth pastor would bring us into a room. And I'll never forget it, it was the first time I'd ever been in a setting like this. He said, "okay, kids," you know, he's talking to us. And he says, "What do you think about most in the day?" And he paused to let us think about it. And I remember thinking, "Oh, well, I think about what I'm going to do in college and who I'm going to marry and what I'm going to do with my life." And then he says, "Well, it should be about God. Because God is the one that renews your mind. When you keep your mind on Him, your life is so much more fruitful. It's so much more joyful because the enemy constantly wants to get into your mind." And I had never heard that before. Like, it just... maybe I had heard it before, but it came alive in that moment. And so after that trip, well, before I left for that trip, someone sat down with me, and they were so precious and sweet--and they said it in a very kind way--but they were like, "if you died tomorrow, on a scale from one to 10, how sure you that you would go to heaven?" And I said a six. I said, "I'm a pretty good person, and I go to church." And he said, "Well, do you want to know how to be a 10 today?" And I was like, "Yes." And he was like, "it's when you accept Jesus as your Savior, and his blood has covered your sins. And then you don't ever have to worry about being good enough." Like, "God can never love you more or love you less." And that rocked my world. And I came home from that mission trip so hungry to know the Bible. At that point, I only knew Jonah and a whale, Adam and Eve and an apple and Jesus on a cross, and really not much than that. And so I wanted to learn so much more about Jesus of the Bible, and I found a church. It was called Grace Bible Church. And I started going to it on my own. And I remember the first day they on the they had a PowerPoint of a map. And the pastor was explaining, you know, Jesus was here. And then He walked. I mean, it was just so... it came alive. I thought that was the coolest thing I've ever seen. You know, it was really putting the Bible to life for me. And really after that, God just put so many people in front of me and to lead me into knowing Him more in just a relationship with the Lord. You know, someone once said that to me, "Hannah, do you talk to your boyfriend (at the time), you just talk to him about big things?" I was like, "No." Like, "you talk about everything right?" And I was like, "Yeah." They were like, "Okay, well, that's how God wants it. He wants us to talk about everything to Him because we're actually diminishing His size when we say 'Oh, that's not big enough.'" Like, He is such a large God, He can handle anything. So little things like that really opened up my mindset.

Chris McAlilly : 29:09

I find that my mind these days gets distracted by a whole range of things. You know, as a pastor, I think that the the hope is that you're constantly thinking about God 24/7, that that's your focus. But you're also as a pastor a human being, and you have children and the mortgage and the Twitter and the Facebook and it just... I don't know, I think one of the things that I find in my own life is this need to constantly kind of be reminded of that. Because I do think there's there's a kind of... I hear it in a lot of people's stories that you have a kind of... there's a moment where there's a spark, where your head is turned or just mesmerized by the wonder or the beauty of. And to me, I do think it's aesthetic. I mean, I think it's in your story I hear, you know, I think, you know, the worship music that you heard in that particular place, you know, with Cody leading. I hear that in a lot of people that the first step towards the deeper relationship with God is not necessarily "I've sat down and like laid all the evidence out for or against God's existence and then, you know, I decided that was true. And then I kind of moved on deeper." I don't think that's the way it works. And what I hear in your story is something--"there was something so compelling about this, that I wanted to know more about it and then I... and then there was this step and that step and the next." I think that's, there's something really beautiful about that.

Hannah Long : 30:51

Well, thank you.

Chris McAlilly : 30:52

Yeah, I mean, I hear it in a lot of people's stories, as well, as they're taking steps into a deeper faith.

Cody Hickman : 30:57

Yeah, I mean, even past that initial moment, to me, the thing that stands out, probably in the last five years, one of the things that stands out the most is actually driving through the Seattle area, Hannah. And seeing... like, I'd seen Mount Rainier from a distance and then going up into the forest and these windy roads, and then you come around the corner, and there it just is again out of nowhere. And it's huge and, like, just, take-your-breat- away moment. And those are the types of things that stand out to me. And so I think that's true. I think God presents himself and maybe even proves himself in beauty and the things that we see around us.

Chris McAlilly : 31:32

Sometimes that's worship music. I think sometimes it's nature. I also, one of the things I heard in what you said, Hannah, is just the the teaching at the church you went to that made the Bible come alive. I resonate with that quite deeply because I grew up in the church. My dad's a pastor, and, you know, I mean, I, it was a wonderful experience, and I thought my dad's voice was the voice of God for a long time. But, you know, when I was in college, I guess it was close to my senior year of college, and I had a teacher like that, somebody who made the Bible come alive and just made the faith come alive in a different way. I want to ask you about journaling that you brought it up a couple times. How did you come to realize that journaling, as a spiritual practice, was going to be a way? Have you always journaled before your faith deepened? Or is it something that became a more important practice for you as you tried to explore your faith in a deeper way?

Hannah Long : 32:43

Well, my sister is a very big journaler. And so my freshman year of high school, she gave me a journal, and I don't remember exactly what she said, but I look up to my sister and I always have, and so if she journaled then that meant I needed to journal. And then I think that it just went into just a place of enjoyment, and a place of... I felt lighter, just getting some things off of my chest. So when I started writing in my journal, I didn't even know Jesus at the time. I didn't have a relationship with him, at least. And then once I did gain a relationship with him, I was in amazement of everything I was learning. And I didn't want to forget it. So really, I started journaling very heavily in church, because I didn't know anything. So I was writing--you to thought I was in a college class, how fast I was writing--because I just wanted to learn. Especially, too, when I went to college, my Christian friends that I started hanging around, they had grown up in different environment than me, and so they knew a lot more about the Bible. And so I was embarrassed that I didn't. So I felt like I was playing catch up. Like, "I've gotta know what they're talking about! I want to know." And so I just really started journaling a lot during the sermon. And then as I learned about the Holy Spirit and how He leads you, and how, like, Jesus didn't die on a cross just to get us to heaven, but to get heaven inside of us. And every day is a miracle and, like, God has a purpose in that day. I got really excited. And so I'm like, "okay, God," like, "every day is a miracle. Let's see, like, what are we going to do today?" And then these crazy, miraculous stories, or they don't even have to be crazy miraculous, but just something, and I'm like, that was God, like, I felt my purpose in that day. I want to write it down because I never want to forget it. Isn't it funny how the enemy wants to clear our mind of anything the Lord has spoken to us or any encounter that He's given us? So then, you know, when the darkness comes, you question everything, right? And so I love to have my journals and look back and see like how God has grown my faith in Him. And I want to share it with my children one day. I mean, all the stories just commuting back and forth to Charlotte. I have so many stories. I didn't have a car up there, so I had to Uber back and forth to the airport. And so that was my ministry time. Like I'm paying them to drive me, and so they don't even have to look me in the face and I can ask them how I can pray for them and it just... so many amazing stories. I had to hurry and write it down. Because you'll soon forget if you don't.

Cody Hickman : 35:26

Yeah, I mean that I think gets back to one of the things that I mentioned I want to talk about earlier was, again, how you just see daily life as kind of ministry. You just said it right there. Your Uber ride was ministry time for you. And I think that, I mean, I have trouble with that. I work in a church. It's hard to do. It's just work a lot of days. And I'm sure you have days like that, too. But you're on Instagram and the things that you post. You just have a sweet spirit about the things that you post and the interactions that you have in encouraging people. And I think that's really special. And I think that people can learn a lot from that. And honestly, I think I would assume you get some of that from your mom. So short story time: As I mentioned earlier, so actually, I got to play at Hannah's wedding. That story she told, she actually sent me an email or direct message sometime before her wedding to see if I would play at her wedding, and that was the first time anybody had ever told me any story like that. And so like yeah, of course I'm gonna come play at your wedding. It's gonna be great. So I went down, but my truck died as soon as I got there. I was supposed to pick up the sound system, be at the rehearsal dinner, do all this stuff, and my truck died--brand new truck died--as soon as I got there. And so Hannah's mom, like, carted me around all weekend. Like, her daughter's wedding weekend, and she spent the weekend just carting me around. And I felt terrible, but your mom was just so nice the whole time. So sweet. She still texts me, like, every holiday.

Hannah Long : 36:58

That is Jan, for sure.

Cody Hickman : 36:59

So I see that in your mom and I certainly see that in you. So, I mean, I just want to know more about that about how you view your day-to-day ministry as you called it.

Hannah Long : 37:11

Yeah, so one of my friends just told me the other day at her church, they're doing actually a series about ministry. And she said that at the door, they have a sign that says--when they leave--that says, "Entering your mission field. Go be the church." And when she told it to me, I'm like, that is the perfect way to describe how I feel about every day as well. When I accepted Jesus as my Savior, He came to live in me, so I take Him everywhere I go. And one of the things I learned early on when I became a Christian is that Satan wants us to keep our life in categories and God wants all of it. He wants us at the grocery store. He wants us post office, at our jobs, with our children, with our spouses. And so that's what I've always tried to do is try, because I've, in my life, I've had those categories and I still do, you know, that you try to block God off from. And that just causes you more pain. And so when you let Him into that, it makes your life so much more joyful.

Chris McAlilly : 38:17

The way that I've heard this described before, in I can't remember where exactly, is there's one dimension of the Gospel which would say that Jesus is Savior, that Jesus redeems and saves and justifies and forgives. But then there's this other dimension of the Gospel that says that Jesus is Lord. And if Jesus is Lord, then the Lordship of Christ would be all-encompassing. And that it would involve, yeah, not just Sunday, but Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday. It would involve not just your personal life but your public life. Not just what you do here, but there.

Cody Hickman : 39:02

Yeah.

Chris McAlilly : 39:02

I think that you bring up a really important point, that the category and the compartmentalization--the way that I've heard other people describe it as just compartmentalization--that, you know, you have this little and it's... I have some sympathy with people who do this because the world is hard. It's a hard world out there. And it's hard, you know, people, it's hard to do your family stuff. And sometimes it's hard to do your work stuff and you just kind of want to keep each one in its place and just deal with the world. But I think there is a dimension of, I guess, growing in grace and growing in the knowledge and love of Christ that would lead a person in the direction of breaking down those categories within themselves and seeking to offer, you know, everything that they have to God. The people that I really admire, and I'm thinking now we have a woman in our church. I'm gonna give a shout out to Barbara, just because. What you're describing

Cody Hickman : 40:07

Yeah

Chris McAlilly : 40:08

What you're describing is what Barbara does. Barbara, for us, she does congregational care. And Barbara, I heard her describing her prayer life the other day. What was amazing to me about her, what she said was, she begins with gratitude. And she's got this whole long list of things that, you know, requests, things that she wants to ask God for herself, but then a longer list for other people. And then she ends her prayer time just by making herself available.

Hannah Long : 40:38

Yeah, that's so good.

Chris McAlilly : 40:38

I was just completely blown away by that because it's like, why? How do you get to be a Barbara? Or how do you get to be somebody like that? And I think it's the availability that transcends the categories or that breaks down the compartmentalization. So it's not just, you're like this with certain group of people, and you hold everything back from others. I think that's hard. I think it's hard for introverts. Particularly, I'm looking over here at our friend Emilie, who is like, she's, like, shaking her head over here. I think it's easier for extroverts. I hear that in you though. It seems like you're the kind of person who doesn't meet a stranger. I guess for somebody for whom that's really hard or maybe struggles with breaking down those categories or struggles to try to figure out like, "I just, I'm just trying to get through the day, today." What encouragement would you offer to them?

Hannah Long : 41:33

Well, God makes every person different. And you can't compare yourself to what other people are doing. And really just again, doing what Barbara does, leaning into prayer. And God does not delight... God delights in faithfulness, not fruitfulness. So just because I went out and talked to the postman and the person at Walmart and the person walking down my street

Chris McAlilly : 41:59

and the Uber driver

Hannah Long : 41:59

Yeah. That does not make me a better person than you, if you talk to no one that day. You have to do what God has called you to do. And so the enemy, what he wants to do is just make you compare yourself. So then you get, you're like, "Well, I'm not good enough." "Well, I can't speak like him." or "I can't speak like her." And he gets you mute. And that's exactly what he wants you to do. Because you think, "Oh, well, you know, I'm not a celebrity," or "I'm not a politician," or "I don't have, you know, 150,000 followers on Instagram," like, "I can't do anything." He wants to just get you to shut down. But the thing is, if you are a person, if you have a pulse, you have a purpose. You have an influence. I don't really think there's any person in this world that is, like, they have nothing to do. They have to interact with some people. And so every person has influence. And so really just praying and asking God for His guidance.

Chris McAlilly : 42:52

I think it's important when you're thinking about calling, which is kind of what led us down this road, that that would emerge. I mean the way that I operate in the world, the way Cody operates in the world, the way that you do and Emilie does and Barbara and the other people, if you're listening, that you think... I'm sure there are people that are like that out there, that you can think of and you think, you know, that person is doing it. And if I was really doing it, I would do it like them.

Cody Hickman : 43:16

Yeah.

Chris McAlilly : 43:17

I have those people. And I think it's always been important. And I think I just would lift up, it's... you have a particular kind of gift that no one else has to offer. There's something unique that you can offer to the world. And I think what's cool about you and as it seems like you've kind of tapped into that for yourself.

Hannah Long : 43:37

Well, thank you. I appreciate that.

Cody Hickman : 43:39

Yeah, it does. And, again, it's readily evident when you look at, again, the types of things you post, the stories, like, I've seen you go on live or put up stories that are just doing Bible studies or things that you're reading, or asking, hey, "if you want to join in this I'm going to talk about this experience I had." Like, that's just... I don't do that. People don't. Chris, I've never seen you do that. You do it on Sunday mornings, I guess, like you have a scheduled time you're gonna do that.

Chris McAlilly : 44:08

I feel like I did that, then why would... it's like, hold back and then offer what I have to offer and then I've got to shut down for a few more days.

Cody Hickman : 44:17

That's right.

Chris McAlilly : 44:18

I wonder if, if there's someone out there and I think particularly of some of the folks that we know, who have graduated college, in the middle of a global pandemic and who are struggling to find jobs, or folks who've been furloughed, folks who are really trying to figure out what their next step is going to be and wishing, you know, "man, I sure wish that everything would kind of come together and"

Cody Hickman : 44:49

In a dream

Chris McAlilly : 44:50

Yeah, exactly like what's something that you would offer to a person who... I mean, or I guess one way to frame it would be, what would you tell yourself five or 10 years ago, when it hadn't all come become clear?

Hannah Long : 45:09

Well, something that encouraged me during that time and something that, the story still encourages me, with, I mean, there's a possibility I may get furloughed from my company in the fall. So it's a story about my mom. So my mom growing up is and really still is a workaholic and loves to work, spends a lot of time at work. She was a human resources manager at a company, and she planned on retiring there. She had worked there for seven years. And she walked in one day and her boss said, "Hey, Jan, we're being bought out. We're gonna have to lay you off today." And her world shattered. She couldn't find a job for a whole year. But in that whole year, she spent every day with my grandmother, her mother. And from the day that my mom got laid off was a year from the day that my grandmother passed away. So, my mom will talk to me about that story. And she's like, "in the moment, I mean, I was devastated. I thought my world was ending, I thought God, like, 'how am I gonna, you know, feed these children? How am I going to provide?' All these questions." And today, she would tell you, she would never change a thing, because God just brings beauty from the ashes. And sometimes it stings in the middle of it when you don't know the other side of that mountain. But that's what builds your faith. So you know that time of waiting, I remember thinking about that story. Well, God has a plan for this moment and like, God will never leave me or forsake me. I've, God will provide for me in His way. It may not be the way that I envisioned, but it's gonna be His way and He's going to provide for me. I love the Bible verse that says that God takes care of the lilies of the field, why would he not take care of you? And so that is very encouraging to me. So that's what I would tell someone. And that's what I would tell myself, you know, five years ago, and that's what keeps me really encouraged, even with the future of possibly getting furloughed in the fall is that God may have something different in store for me in this next season.

Chris McAlilly : 47:29

I think that word is very hopeful. I think that I know a lot of people who need to hear that and

Cody Hickman : 47:38

Yeah, absolutely.

Chris McAlilly : 47:39

Hannah, thank you so much for your time. Thank you for being on the podcast today.

Cody Hickman : 47:43

Yeah, thank you so much for being here, Hannah.

Hannah Long : 47:46

And thank you all so much. Cody, do you want to sing us a little something?

Cody Hickman : 47:49

You know, probably not gonna do that right now.

Chris McAlilly : 47:52

Come on, man. Sing us a little something.

Cody Hickman : 47:54

Well, look forward to more YouTube videos in the future, maybe.

Chris McAlilly : 47:57

On the Afterthoughts.

Cody Hickman : 47:57

On the Afterthoughts. Hey, I'm gonna give a quick shout out to your mom, Ms. Jan, too, because I know she's gonna be listening. She checked in with Hannah, saying, "When's it gonna be posted? I want to listen." So it's coming soon.

Chris McAlilly : 48:12

Coming soon. Thanks. Thanks.

Cody Hickman : 48:13

Thanks, Hannah.

Chris McAlilly : 48:14

for being so sweet to Cody when Cody needed a friend.

Cody Hickman : 48:18

That's right.

Hannah Long : 48:19

Y'all be sweet to Cody.

Cody Hickman : 48:20

Thank you! Thank you. That's a good place to end right there.

Chris McAlilly : 48:24

There we go. We'll end right there.

Cody Hickman : 48:25

Alright.

Hannah Long : 48:26

Y'all have a good one.

Cody Hickman : 48:27

You, too.

Chris McAlilly : 48:27

Thanks so much.

Hannah Long : 48:28

Bye.

Eddie Rester : 48:28

[OUTRO] Thank you for listening today. Go ahead and follow us on Facebook and Twitter. And go ahead and hit the subscribe button on whatever platform you use to listen to podcasts.

Cody Hickman : 48:39

This wouldn't be possible without our partner general Board of Higher Education in Ministry. We want to thank also our producer Cody Hickman. Follow us next week. We'll be back with another episode of The Weight. [END OUTRO]