Hey, friend, this month’s topic is quite a thing. We want to know exactly how we fit into all our relationships, the future, and both this world and the next. Isn’t that what the significant life calling is about? We want to make a difference in our sphere of influence; we want to know our lives mattered! That’s what we’re kicking around, so check out Tracy’s, Megan’s, and Charlotte’s posts this month!
Once upon a time I (Jen) waited for a book or survey to tell me how I was wired and how I could be used significantly in this world. I caught myself repeating over and over in my inside voice: There has to be more to life!
It’s been 487 days…
I turned the big 5-0 four hundred eighty-seven days ago. Yesterday it hit me as I struggled through a 6-mile walk with my Chocolate Lab. My legs are short and don’t move as quickly as they did. My right ankle complains, and my knees join the chorus. One shoulder wants to move more freely. My low back is recovering from a strain, a parting gift from poorly done squats. Oh. My. Goodness! When did my house-body become a crumbling cabin in the woods?
A long walk. The rhythm of Theo’s panting. Shoes scuffing the path. The occasional runner or biker hustling past. Thoughts pierce my serenity, an unexpected cymbal-crash in the evening’s golden hour. Did I waste half a century? What do I have to show for the years? I don’t know how many days I have left. B-b-but the last fifty years…the last year and a quarter…
A girl could cry. Fresh desperation welled up. The half-life of Uranium…half its initial value…the half-life of a human…Woman, the chemistry term doesn’t apply!
The golden-hour world went wavy through tears. This doesn’t feel like freedom on the road to calling.
“Self” is a Four-letter Word
I ask hard questions in this life stage. I take a long look in the rear-view mirror and wonder: Why am I here? Is there still opportunity? Did I accept the right challenges and take advantage of the growth along the way? I spent two decades wanting to be older, but am I “too old” now? If I knew then what I know now, would I have lived the same way? Was youth wasted on me? Is the hair glitter I’ve earned anything special?
Do you see what I see? The thought process up there—it’s all about me. I’m speeding down the road, checking the side mirror of self where “objects may be closer than they appear.” The object that’s too close is me, and I can’t see beyond me to the beautiful opportunities I took or the ones I might take.
Self-examination isn’t the same thing as self-preoccupation. There’s a thin line between the two, and it’s got to be a no passing zone or a head-on collision is around the bend.
Eyes on the Road!
I’m not sure why we need laws to reinforce the need for focused attention behind the wheel, but they emphasize an important point. If I’m moving at high speed in a one-ton missile, it’s super-important I’m aware of my surroundings. How much more important when I’m moving through life where opportunity is around every turn!
I won’t see the moment; it’ll sneak up on me, and I’ll be in it. I’ll have to choose between two roads or stopping to help someone on the roadside. Eyes on the road! And ears tuned to the small whisper that guides my heart, mind, and feet in the moment.
What if…
Once upon a time I read books and listened to 45-minute talks focused on helping me know more about my purpose in life. Gifts assessments became a thing. I took them multiple times to see if anything changed. I mean, I want to be certain I’m doing what God has called me to, and I can only do that if I know where my gifts, passions, and season of life intersect. (Yeah, that looks like a GPS to me, too.)
But what if there’s another perspective? What if an author, preacher-man, or questionnaire couldn’t or shouldn’t define me and the opportunities I might accept or reject. I want to know the biblical take on calling, giftedness, and serving.
Plans and Purposes
Your eyes saw me when I was formless;
all my days were written in your book and planned
before a single one of them began. Psalm 139:16 CSB
The Creator of the universe has always known my identity—every physical, emotional, and spiritual detail. My five-foot-two-on-a-good-hair-day height, the grey hair hidden with RB-6 in college, my love of words and Oxford commas, and the best and worst life experiences—He knew all of me. He knew I would enter the world just before breakfast on one day, and He knows the time I will see Him face to face.
Every day has been attended to and accounted for, and it has all been perfectly tailored to me in partnership with Him. The people I meet. The opportunities in front of me. No surprises and no mistakes. In this life stage, I see it better.
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time for us to do. Ephesians 2:10 CSB
Something deep nudges me toward truth. I was made on purpose, with purpose, for a purpose! It’s no wonder some kind of “why cry” comes from down deep. The most important part is that He offers opportunities to partner with Him in good works. I was made for more. And so were you!
S-S-Slow down!
I imagine myself with Mario Andretti skills. Life is crazy-fast, and some days are jam-packed with only minutes between iCal events. It looks good on paper, but there’s no time for resting, recuperating, or relaxing. I burn rubber until I burn out.
How in the world can I hear the “still, small voice” (1 Kings 19:12)? My engine’s RPMs are too high, I’m flying through a flat desert, and the people and opportunities are a blur.
Truth is, I desperately need quiet and time to hear His small voice. When I’m listening, I have a unique chance to follow His lead. If I’m attentive, I live a life with three unique traits.
- My life is Spirit-led because I hear and respond to His voice.
- My life is Spirit-infused and fueled because I am moving with Him.
- My life is surrendered because I want His good, perfect, and pleasing will (Romans 12:2).
These three things mostly exist when I slow down and spend time walking and talking with God.
Humble Willingness
Those three, unique traits in my life equal humble willingness. I’m willing to carry the weight of awareness each day. I’ll see people—really see them—and remain open to the possibility of a divine iCal request on my calendar.
Here’s the funny thing: I’m reminded it has nothing to do with the list of gifts, passions, or skills at this point. Those things are the springboard for how I might partner with Him, but it’s way-cool to experience serving someone with the love of God by the power of God. There’s no way I cover that kind of distance by my own heart, mind, or abilities.
The freedom on the road? My calling? It’s an adventure if I’m humble and willing…
Share your thoughts in the comments or the Facebook Page. I’d really love to read them!
