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| Christus bei Maria und Martha by Allessandro Allori, 1605 |
What’s your calling?
A few simple words, but a whole world of meaning, isn’t it? To what has the Lord called you? It doesn’t have to be something grand. He could have called you to accounting. To farming. He could have called you to raising kids. Maybe He called you clean your church once a week. It doesn’t have to some awesome-sounding ministry, but I feel strongly that we all have something the Lord has called us to.
Mine’s easy–I’ve known I was called to write pretty much all my life. So . . . then what? What do I do with that knowledge? Well, I write. In my case, I write books and I blog. But what kind of books? What kind of blogs?
My husband and I were talking about callings last night, and in the course of our discussion it occurred to me that having a calling you recognize doesn’t mean you do it as you should. I could be writing books that are simple and easy. I could be churning out stories that fit what I was told years ago were marketable. I could be writing stories that make no attempt to glorify the Lord. I could be writing only what I want instead of what I should be.
In a few months, I’m going to doing a blog series that ties in with Ring of Secrets on ordinary heroes. See, that was what set the Culper Ring apart–they were just everyday people serving where they had been called. In their store, on their farm, in the military. But they were serving there with a heart open to what the Lord might ask of them. And so these folks ended up taking risks that could have gotten them lynched–not by dropping everything and running off to some big task, but by serving where they’d been placed.
So how do we translate that to today? How do we, now, serve where we’ve been placed in a way that can make a difference? Not a rhetorical question here–it’s one I’m going to be thinking a lot about over the next few months.
And I want to start with gathering some answers to that first question. What’s your calling? In its most simple form, what has the Lord asked you to do? Please share!
Roseanna M. White is a bestselling, Christy Award winning author who has long claimed that words are the air she breathes. When not writing fiction, she’s homeschooling her two kids, editing, designing book covers, and pretending her house will clean itself. Roseanna is the author of a slew of historical novels that span several continents and thousands of years. Spies and war and mayhem always seem to find their way into her books…to offset her real life, which is blessedly ordinary.
Boo on the laptop bug! No fun. But glad you found me again. =)
I agree that God calls us to a lot of different things, some that stick with us and some that are just for a season. And I just love the thought of looking, each day, for what He's calling us to do right NOW.
Thanks so much for this, Roseanna! (And for blogging to faithfully. I lost your site when my laptop caught a bug. It's funny how sites can be hard to find again. It's nice to be back!) I believe that God DOES give us callings, but I'm always hesitant to say, "THIS is the calling He's given me …" Especially because I think He calls us to lots of things – things to which He calls ALL His children ("love one another"), things to which He calls us in different seasons of our lives (in singleness, marriage, motherhood, etc.) and things to which He calls us specifically and eternally. Maybe writing is one of those things for me … and maybe there are a number of other things I'm yet to discover. I love the verse that says that the gifts and callings of God are irrevocable!
Tonya, I don't think it's always a matter of having some Calling-with-a-capital-C. I think it's often more about being in the place where the Lord has called you to be right now. Being in school or working or with your family. Learning something new. Wherever you are in your life right now, if you're there in accordance with His will and not in opposition to it. That's what I'm getting at. Because let's face it–He can't use us where we *might* be someday. He can only use us where we *are*. And you're right where you need to be!
You are definitely an encourager, Joanne! I know I'm SO encouraged by your comments and support.
And I think you're doing what you're supposed to be doing–raising a family, learning a craft, and spreading that encouragement around with generosity!
In the most general way, I am called to encourage, I believe. Lots of ways to do that (which may be why I'm not sure exactly WHAT I'm supposed to be doing more specifically LOL). Great question.
Honestly, I'm not sure what my calling is? I'd love to say it was writing but I don't know yet, I think right now I'm supposed to just be getting up and persevering everyday the best I can. Hopefully sometime ill have a better idea of what my calling is