This is right on and I love how you emphasize the glory that’s in all the mundane little things God’s called us to do.
I would add to this that our individualism has made “calling” much more complicated. We’re always thinking - “what has God called ME to do?” But actually He’s given us a Family mission. One of my favorite writers, Jeremy Pryor, says it this way. “God didn’t put Adam and Eve on earth and say ‘what do you want to be when you grow up?’. That’s way too much freedom. He gave them clear instructions”. Our job in this day and age is to ask these questions as we become adults:
-how is my family/community doing when it comes being on mission? Do they even know what their practical mission looks like?
- what are the needs of the family/community to better be on mission?
-and where do my gifts/desires intersect with those needs? There, we find our calling.
We of course are naturally selfish creatures who want the story to revolve around ourselves. But God Himself is not a single being - He functions in 3 forms, as a family. But when it comes to functioning as a family on mission, we often avoid it in our individualistic culture because it’s too messy. We’d rather move across the world to “preach the Gospel” than to have to forgive our parents for the ways they’ve wronged us, and work together with them to reach our own towns and neighborhoods.
Anna thank you SO much for taking the time to share this comment: this carries the conversation forward in such a rich and important way. And that last comment about being called to a place and people is so spot on and something I’ve been thinking through myself. I actually just was writing about that today! I am going to be continuing to think about the questions you’ve posed here.
Yes to all of this! I spent a long time trying to find “the one” and ended up saddled with guilt, condemnation, and anxiety. My prayers are less about asking God to help me do His will and more, help me see You where I’m at. Thank you for sharing!
Thanks for speaking up about this! Wrestling with the intertwining of identity and the distortion of “calling” so much at the moment. Glad I’m not the only one with this experience 🫶🏻
Allison, you’re totally not alone! I think a lot of us receive conflicted messages about this in the church and in western society as a whole. Hoping you can continue to parse these things out and see how God is working in you and through you.
Hey Allison, you might enjoy Jeremy Pryor’s Substack series on why calling is so confusing in our culture. It starts with this one and might be worth a read!
I've changed careers 3 times since leaving college. I had a 4 month stretch of unemployment last year when switch industries. Thank you for putting the feeling so beautifully into words, Grace.
"God cares less about my potential than he does about my presence — my presence with him, my presence in his church, my presence with the people he’s placed in my life."
God doesn't want us to have a stacked resume and fancy title. If these things are given as temporary gifts, then we are stewards, but they don't define us. He wants US—our presence, our hearts, our devotion—not our accomplishments. They are worthless to Him. It' so human to think that we bring something to the table in our relationship with Jesus.
We literally just need to exist and pursue Jesus and trust in His plans. They're better than ours.
This is so timely as a senior in college. It’s so hard not to idolize the calling and our work, but I’m realizing that it’s simply about stewarding well all God has gifted us with (the little moments and the big ones)
GRACE I worked at my college's career center too!! I've wrestled so much with God about how careers and callings, and feel so strongly God cares more for our presence than professional lives, too.
Résumé girlies unite! I think it’s a hard topic to work through in your twenties when a career path is often emphasized as the primary way to live a purposeful life. But here we are! I like it better here.
For Catholics, vocation/calling strictly refers to the state of life you are called to, that is, consecrated “single” life, or marriage. We believe that your job can be a way that God chooses to sanctify you, and St Josemaria Escriva has great teachings on the sanctifying power of work — but your vocation is the one thing you be sure God wants you to work at and prioritize to be sanctified. Both vocations are relationship based, not achievement based! This was really hard for me to learn coming from a girl boss mentality before converting!
Your words are so important. I wonder how much of this can be traced the Church’s similar idolization of marriage and finding “the one”. Our obsession with calling and limited vocational imaginations can make us forget that often what you decide to “do with your life” only makes sense retrospectively.
What a reminder! “Maybe finding our Godly calling isn’t about finding the one big thing and making it our way to please God”
You have helped me to verbalize how I feel these past months about “calling” . I think as we gaze upon God, He helped me to actually include Him in whatever we do. Because that is our calling . Whatever we do, eat or drink, we do it all for the Glory of God.
This is so lovely and rings so true. I don’t think as a college person I would have believed the richness that lay ahead in my life as a wife and mother. The last line also reminds me a lot of “Sit, Walk, Stand” by Watchman Nee! We FIRST, are seated with Christ. God made the world and brought humans at the very end, to start life, on a rest day! So beautiful.
Yes and amen!!!! What a gift that God allows us to do so many things in this life and be on mission all the whole. Love this entire post so very much. 🖤 Thank you for sharing it!
Thank you, Bethany! So much of this last year of my life (year 30) has been letting God unravel unhelpful and false narratives that made up the fabric of my life. What is forming is a beautiful tapestry!
This is right on and I love how you emphasize the glory that’s in all the mundane little things God’s called us to do.
I would add to this that our individualism has made “calling” much more complicated. We’re always thinking - “what has God called ME to do?” But actually He’s given us a Family mission. One of my favorite writers, Jeremy Pryor, says it this way. “God didn’t put Adam and Eve on earth and say ‘what do you want to be when you grow up?’. That’s way too much freedom. He gave them clear instructions”. Our job in this day and age is to ask these questions as we become adults:
-how is my family/community doing when it comes being on mission? Do they even know what their practical mission looks like?
- what are the needs of the family/community to better be on mission?
-and where do my gifts/desires intersect with those needs? There, we find our calling.
We of course are naturally selfish creatures who want the story to revolve around ourselves. But God Himself is not a single being - He functions in 3 forms, as a family. But when it comes to functioning as a family on mission, we often avoid it in our individualistic culture because it’s too messy. We’d rather move across the world to “preach the Gospel” than to have to forgive our parents for the ways they’ve wronged us, and work together with them to reach our own towns and neighborhoods.
Anna thank you SO much for taking the time to share this comment: this carries the conversation forward in such a rich and important way. And that last comment about being called to a place and people is so spot on and something I’ve been thinking through myself. I actually just was writing about that today! I am going to be continuing to think about the questions you’ve posed here.
Yes to all of this! I spent a long time trying to find “the one” and ended up saddled with guilt, condemnation, and anxiety. My prayers are less about asking God to help me do His will and more, help me see You where I’m at. Thank you for sharing!
I love that prayer that you've begun to pray!
Thanks for speaking up about this! Wrestling with the intertwining of identity and the distortion of “calling” so much at the moment. Glad I’m not the only one with this experience 🫶🏻
Allison, you’re totally not alone! I think a lot of us receive conflicted messages about this in the church and in western society as a whole. Hoping you can continue to parse these things out and see how God is working in you and through you.
Hey Allison, you might enjoy Jeremy Pryor’s Substack series on why calling is so confusing in our culture. It starts with this one and might be worth a read!
https://open.substack.com/pub/jeremypryor/p/the-ruling-household-an-introduction?r=45rg3t&utm_medium=ios
I've changed careers 3 times since leaving college. I had a 4 month stretch of unemployment last year when switch industries. Thank you for putting the feeling so beautifully into words, Grace.
"God cares less about my potential than he does about my presence — my presence with him, my presence in his church, my presence with the people he’s placed in my life."
God doesn't want us to have a stacked resume and fancy title. If these things are given as temporary gifts, then we are stewards, but they don't define us. He wants US—our presence, our hearts, our devotion—not our accomplishments. They are worthless to Him. It' so human to think that we bring something to the table in our relationship with Jesus.
We literally just need to exist and pursue Jesus and trust in His plans. They're better than ours.
So good, Zach! I’m encouraged by your conviction and the experiences you’ve had to come to that belief.
This is so timely as a senior in college. It’s so hard not to idolize the calling and our work, but I’m realizing that it’s simply about stewarding well all God has gifted us with (the little moments and the big ones)
I am so glad you found this helpful, Jania! Senior year can be such a tricky time of tension and transition. Cheering you on!
GRACE I worked at my college's career center too!! I've wrestled so much with God about how careers and callings, and feel so strongly God cares more for our presence than professional lives, too.
Résumé girlies unite! I think it’s a hard topic to work through in your twenties when a career path is often emphasized as the primary way to live a purposeful life. But here we are! I like it better here.
For Catholics, vocation/calling strictly refers to the state of life you are called to, that is, consecrated “single” life, or marriage. We believe that your job can be a way that God chooses to sanctify you, and St Josemaria Escriva has great teachings on the sanctifying power of work — but your vocation is the one thing you be sure God wants you to work at and prioritize to be sanctified. Both vocations are relationship based, not achievement based! This was really hard for me to learn coming from a girl boss mentality before converting!
I wasn’t familiar with that perspective; thanks for sharing! Love the idea of vocation being relationship and not achievement based. That’s rich!
Your words are so important. I wonder how much of this can be traced the Church’s similar idolization of marriage and finding “the one”. Our obsession with calling and limited vocational imaginations can make us forget that often what you decide to “do with your life” only makes sense retrospectively.
Such an astute comment, Jordyn! I definitely agree with those sentiments. I also think God is much more imaginative than any of us can fathom!
This brought so much freedom for me!! Thank you for the timely word!
So glad to hear this, Ashley!
What a reminder! “Maybe finding our Godly calling isn’t about finding the one big thing and making it our way to please God”
You have helped me to verbalize how I feel these past months about “calling” . I think as we gaze upon God, He helped me to actually include Him in whatever we do. Because that is our calling . Whatever we do, eat or drink, we do it all for the Glory of God.
Martha, that’s spot on! Keep gazing at God, and I trust you’ll see him show up in more places than you’d expect and imagine.
This is so lovely and rings so true. I don’t think as a college person I would have believed the richness that lay ahead in my life as a wife and mother. The last line also reminds me a lot of “Sit, Walk, Stand” by Watchman Nee! We FIRST, are seated with Christ. God made the world and brought humans at the very end, to start life, on a rest day! So beautiful.
Abigail, I’m so encouraged to hear about the richness you’ve experience in your own life and unique circumstances!
I think you're on to something…
Yes and amen!!!! What a gift that God allows us to do so many things in this life and be on mission all the whole. Love this entire post so very much. 🖤 Thank you for sharing it!
I really appreciate that, Dusty! Thank you for spending some time reading and for your comment.
Just so good, as always!!
Ya ok THIS IS GOOD
Colleen! Thank you for always being my hype woman and being such a thoughtful person yourself.
Love these thoughts Grace. This resonates very much. Grateful for the freedom you’ve found. It takes some rewiring, and time, and spiritual growth 💛
Thank you, Bethany! So much of this last year of my life (year 30) has been letting God unravel unhelpful and false narratives that made up the fabric of my life. What is forming is a beautiful tapestry!