DON’T WAIT TO BE PERFECT!
SEARCH FOR A SENSE OF PEACE
The Courage to Say “Yes”
One thing is certain, discerning God’s will for your life is not an easy task! There are so many great ways we can serve God, but discovering the vocational path that God calls us on, and having the courage to take the step to explore it, isn’t easy! God doesn’t send us a text message to tell us what to do, but I believe that the radical journey of becoming who God calls us to be is an exciting adventure.
The most important element of discernment is prayer. We need to ground ourselves in our personal relationship with God, and dare to ask God the question, “What do you want me to do for you?” Any vocational path, whether its married life, priesthood, religious life or single life, is about finding the ways we can fully express our love for God in daily life. The more we invest in growing in our love for God through giving time to prayer, the more clarity we discover around how we are called to live out this fullness of life in Christ.
It can be beneficial to have someone who is trusted and can help us to listen to what the Spirit is saying. This might be a Spiritual Director, a mentor or a trusted friend. It can often be wise to not talk to too many different people about your vocational discernment, as sometimes the more opinions we hear, the more confused we become!
Stepping out in faith is also important in our discernment journey. When I first considered Religious Life, I had no idea what it really meant to be a consecrated woman. In my journey of discernment, I was waiting for God to send me a sign. I’ve since discovered that God reveals Himself along the way. We don’t need to wait to have absolute 100% clarity before we begin to explore a possible vocational pathway, especially if it’s priesthood or religious life. We need the courage within to put out into the deep and trust that God is with us. Don’t wait to be perfect! Yet search for a sense of peace in the discernment space, for where you find peace is possibly where God is calling you.
Having God in your life, and seriously discerning God’s dream for you, is an ongoing process. When we say “yes” to God, it’s not only once. Living our vocation is about a daily response to God’s loving invitations in our lives. It helps me to remember that God doesn’t need our capacity, He needs our availability. The challenge is to trust God and have the courage to dare to be different.
At this moment in history, our Church and our world are so desperately in need of committed men and women who are willing to have God at the centre of their lives. Let us dare to be extraordinary in living out our love for God in daily life. And let us pray for the grace of open hearts to allow God to fulfil His dream for our lives – whatever that might look like!
