pre-pastor jitters

here is something that i've been thinking about.

pastors have the weirdest conversations. much like the ones i've been having lately.

and i'm not even a pastor yet.

why is it that people hear that i'm a seminary student studying to be a pastor and decide that the time has come for the pastor-in-training to hear their confessions?

sometimes it makes me laugh. like having people assure me that they've read the whole bible. or that they go to church. i find it somewhat amusing when people insist upon assuring me that they do all the right things to be considered a good christian.

other times it makes me scared. like having people confess their dark, deep secrets. cause i have no idea what to do when i hear about the issues from people's lives - marriages/divorces, kid issues, job concerns, etc. and it scares me to think that my future will be riddled with knowing the tough situations people go through and yet not having any idea of how to help beyond giving all concerns back to God...

but i suppose, that's the main job for a pastor to do: figure out how God is working as we figure out how to live, loving God and neighbor...