Calling

And the Lord said "Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.

Then a Great and Powerful Wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind.

After the wind was an

Earthquake.

But the Lord was not in the earthquake.

After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire.

And after the FIRE came....

A Gentle Whisper.

1 Kings 19:11-13

What does an answer from God look like? How do you know that His answer is not simply your will exhibiting dominance? That your pleasurable feelings are not simply outweighing your uncomforts? Why would God call me to a place of uncomfort when I can't see through the smoke to the possible blessing that lies ahead? Or does that path even have blessings to behold...

How do I know what to do with so many options all being presented to me, all of them good, yet one of them best.

Calling. God's calling. A divine mission that defines your purpose in life. That defines who you are, what you represent and what you invest in. It's what drove Moses to lead a nation, Joshua to continue that leading, Shadrack, Meshiac and Abendigo to defy a king, David to become a king and ultimately lead our Saviour, King and God to the cross. How did these men know thier purpose? Their mission. How do I understand God's will in my life? Sometimes I expect a voice in my head to just yell to me saying "Go Here! Do this! Make this Choice!", but so far, no cigar. Sometimes I expect a Message on the wall, or if i look at every other letter on my menu at Olive Garden, a secret message will appear! Or could it be that I should be on a National Treasure journey to find an ancient scroll that has been assigned to me by the Masons hundreds of years ago, prompting me to take back the government from the democracts and half black presidents! No.

I'm learning painfully slow that God's calling is not always a glowing revelation in the sky. It is not always a monumental event that suddenly clicks in your head. Many times your calling is discovered and fulfilled by a lifelong journey. God gifts each and every one of his children with passions, skills and abilities to accomplish the goals He has set for us. We become who we are meant to be, when we place ourselves in environments that nurture and utilize those skills and gifts. If He has created us with a purpose in mind, and we acknowledge the means He has given us to accomplish His ends, we simply need to pray that we would acknowledge the opportunities to serve in the capacaties He has made available to us, in the ways that would best utilize the gifts He has offered.

Sometimes that option is not the most popular.

Sometimes that option is not the most immediately exciting.

Sometimes that option is not the most instananeously pleasing.

But always

That option

Is the most rewarding.