In church this past Sunday, our minister told us that everyone has a calling from God. We all have strengths – things about each of us that can be shared for the good of others. All we have to do is listen to God in our daily lives. God has a plan for each one of us. We are all called to be disciples. In Jeremiah 1, God called Jeremiah to be a prophet in His service. Jeremiah listed a number of reasons to God explaining why he was inadequate, but, naturally, God’s plan for Jeremiah ruled.
So, how can we discern our calling from God? We need to listen and react to God’s movement in our lives. Our callings may come at “inconvenient” times for us, but they cannot be ignored. Twenty-one years ago, I was called to love and marry another man who I had come to love. This may sound simple enough, but it was very difficult for me because I was petrified that my new love, Mike, would also die. I didn’t trust God’s love. This particular call has been such a healing, wonderful, and joyous thing for me. And, of course, other callings have surfaced after I was able to love and trust God again.
We all need to be open to God calling us. My daily devotional book had a wonderful prayer in it today that I’d like to share with you, written by Leigh Hitchcock.
“Almighty God, calm my fear. Help me to know that when you call me, you call me to walk alongside you to accomplish your work. Amen.”
Sarah Orton Bowen 