Callings VIII

But I trusted in thee, O Lord: I said, Thou art my God. My times are in thy hand. -Psalms 31:14-15

Just when you thought it was safe to make some assumptions about one’s calling in life, I am afraid I have some more disconcerting news. Callings change. Life has its twists and turns, times, and stages. And with these tumultuous events, our callings can also change. David went from being a shepherd to being a soldier and, ultimately, to being a king. God leads us through these times in our lives, and at each stage, we develop skills and take on certain roles wherein we exercise God’s call in service to the Kingdom in uniquely different ways.

While this may fill some of us with hope that one day soon we may be called to move on to something quite different, for many of us change is difficult and threatening. The challenge comes to all of us sooner or later to lay down a calling in life, something we have grown quite comfortable with and good at, to follow a different leading. Moms and dads remember a time when they lived a relatively carefree life as young singles, amiably pursuing studies or the beginnings of a dream career. Then romance and marriage rearranged the center of their lives so that it was no longer the “I” that directed their choices but the “we.” And when children came, it was no longer the “we” but the “they.” Moms, especially, often find themselves having to choose between an attractive career they had carefully prepared for and staying home to do laundry, wipe noses, and run a taxi service. Dads also find their choices become more limited and constraining because their first calling in life has evolved to be that of a father and provider. These choices can be very painful at times. We have all passed by the wreckage of marriages and families where someone felt forced to choose between career and family and made a disastrous decision. The body count is way too high.

When so led, the called man/woman of God will resign and give up his calling with grace and dignity if called to do so by God. This has to be our guiding principle. For young people, their present calling in life is to be a student and learner. At some point, they need to lay that down and enter the workforce. For many of us that was a welcomed change, but some students try to make a career out of school and in the process make a sad caricature of their lives. Once we take on the responsibility of marriage and family, our role as wife or husband, mom or dad, becomes our first calling in life. It trumps all others. Many grand ambitions, at times, have to be laid down to serve this high and holy calling. Doing that with grace and dignity can be one of the most difficult things we ever do. Engineers may end up selling cars, teachers may work an assembly line, or divinity graduates find themselves working in warehouses. While the choices may never be that stark, our priorities must change as our levels of responsibility change.

Likewise, as our children mature and leave, our calling again will change. Nothing is sadder to watch than a mother who will not let go of her children, who finds her only purpose in life in fulfilling that role. We must hold all our callings in life with an open hand whether it be our children, our careers, or our companies and be willing to see what God will call us to beyond these stages of life. This week we observe that time in which Jesus laid down his calling of being a teacher, prophet, and healer to become the sacrificial lamb on our behalf. May we be able to follow His example with equal grace and dignity.