Your Calling

Just wanted to encourage anyone who may be looking for their purpose and what God's plan may be in your life. My husband and I have been seeking for that for a while and feeling like we weren't really getting it. Don't get me wrong, we do have some definite areas where we feel God has called us to serve, but we see friends and family that have such obvious calling in their lives and really have embraced their areas of service as part of their daily life, it's just what they live, and we want to find ours. We feel like there must be something more that we are called to do.

So we have been praying that for quite a while. Last week, I wasn't thinking in the context of our calling, but I came home from work several days with the thought that I needed to flip my loyalty or at least re-direct my efforts. I work so hard to improve my skill set and relationships at work and get home feeling spent. I felt like my family was getting a lower percentage of my best effort than my work was. Not that I think I need to not try hard at work, I just need to realize my priorities at home are worth much more and deserve my best as well. I wasn't thinking of this as God's calling on my life, but just kind of background awareness of where my efforts lie and where they should be improved on.

Then we went to the ranch this weekend with my husband's parents and I was praying as I was going to sleep that God would make apparent what He was wanting us to do in this time. I felt like surely He had something and had probably shown us, but I just wasn't getting it. I prayed He would just make it obvious because I hadn't picked up on the un-obvious apparently for quite a while now! I had a dream that night and all I remember was me serving food to my family. I woke up feeling I had gained some insight that my calling was right where I am, a Mom and a Wife. And this is a great and significant calling that deserves my attention and focus.

Then I was talking to my husband's mom the next day - she was talking about their calling (which is one of those that is so remarkable and visible) and I mentioned that we had been praying about our calling for a while and hadn't quite figured it out. She responded, "You have a most important calling right now - raising your family." I knew God was searing that into my mind.

I am so sure and at peace with the fact that in this stage of life, my calling is right before me. How I didn't see it before is crazy! I have a peace to quit striving so hard to find a purpose outside my home and embrace and invest in the gifts God has given me right here. I am so blessed and have such a significant task in encouraging and supporting my husband, raising my family and bringing up these little ones to be warriors for Christ!  I pray that I will fully embrace this calling and run full force into it with Christ as my guide.

I just encourage you to look around at what may be fairly obvious if you are searching as well. I believe God gives us callings for all time periods of our lives. Don't ever think whatever stage you are in or whatever task you have been given is insignificant. It makes me think of the parable of the talents in Matthew (below) - Cultivate what God has given you and embrace your calling....even if its right in your home or not what you expected or not quite so visible to the rest of the world. If you are a Christian, there is something you are called to do right now in this moment. Don't let striving for something you see as greater or more significant keep you from doing what may be most important today....what God has entrusted you with TODAY.

Matthew 25:14-30

New Living Translation (NLT)

Parable of the Three Servants

14 “Again, the Kingdom of Heaven can be illustrated by the story of a man going on a long trip. He called together his servants and entrusted his money to them while he was gone.15 He gave five bags of silver[a] to one, two bags of silver to another, and one bag of silver to the last—dividing it in proportion to their abilities. He then left on his trip.

16 “The servant who received the five bags of silver began to invest the money and earned five more. 17 The servant with two bags of silver also went to work and earned two more.18 But the servant who received the one bag of silver dug a hole in the ground and hid the master’s money.
19 “After a long time their master returned from his trip and called them to give an account of how they had used his money. 20 The servant to whom he had entrusted the five bags of silver came forward with five more and said, ‘Master, you gave me five bags of silver to invest, and I have earned five more.’
21 “The master was full of praise. ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together![b]’
22 “The servant who had received the two bags of silver came forward and said, ‘Master, you gave me two bags of silver to invest, and I have earned two more.’
23 “The master said, ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!’
24 “Then the servant with the one bag of silver came and said, ‘Master, I knew you were a harsh man, harvesting crops you didn’t plant and gathering crops you didn’t cultivate. 25 I was afraid I would lose your money, so I hid it in the earth. Look, here is your money back.’
26 “But the master replied, ‘You wicked and lazy servant! If you knew I harvested crops I didn’t plant and gathered crops I didn’t cultivate, 27 why didn’t you deposit my money in the bank? At least I could have gotten some interest on it.’
28 “Then he ordered, ‘Take the money from this servant, and give it to the one with the ten bags of silver. 29 To those who use well what they are given, even more will be given, and they will have an abundance. But from those who do nothing, even what little they have will be taken away. 30 Now throw this useless servant into outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’