by Cecille
Okay, so maybe God doesn’t say “duh!” when we figure out what he wants us to do, but I think that’s the general reaction when we figure things out. What spurs this thought is the realization that everything that God has planned for us is right under our noses. Not seemingly, of course, but considering God’s plan is written on our hearts and we carry our hearts wherever we go, it really is under our noses.
Let me give you an example of this. I’ve been altar serving since I was 9 years old, which makes it some 10 and a half years now that I’ve been serving priests and Jesus at the altar. When you think of an altar server, you think of someone helping set up for Mass, helping others, serving God. Now, fast forward about 8 years, and I start college. I see sacristans at my college chapel and I’m thinking that’s something I want to do too. Set up for Mass, help create the right environment for Mass, serve others, serve God. It’s a no brainer.
Fast forward two years. I’m a junior in college now and changed my major from accounting to hospitality management. How does this relate at all to altar serving, you might ask? Think about hospitality for a minute. It involves the preparation of food, or items, or somethings for an event, or something special, or dinner. You serve others, and in the way I see it, I’m trying to glorify God with doing the best I can with the interests and talents he’s given me. So, the desire to serve at the altar as a 9 year old bears a resemblance to the major I choose 10 years down the road.
That desire, when I think about it now, was truly my own: my parents did not force me into it, none of my close friends were doing it, so it’s not like they influenced me – I really did just want to serve. It seems painfully obvious now that the desires God set in my heart have been there all along, though manifested in different ways.
Now, let’s stop for a moment. Not all your desires at the age of 9 will be the desires you have today. At age 9 I also wanted a bunch of build a bears from Build a Bear Workshop and plenty of American Girl dolls. I’m pretty sure those don’t have a direct application to my life today. But take Fr. Anthony, one of the priests at my Newman Center. One of the things he tells us about his discernment story is that he had always wanted to save lives and help others; initially, he went to college to be a police officer. He found his true calling in the priesthood, in saving souls.
Puts a bit of a different spin on it, doesn’t it?
So let’s take it in a different direction. What happens when you can’t identify a desire like this? I don’t like to sugarcoat things and say that there’s an easy button for figuring out your vocation and what God wants you to do. If you’re in the boat of “I have no idea what desires God has placed in my heart,” then perhaps you could look at what else is under your nose in terms of what God wants you to do with the life he’s given you.
Look at everyone and everything in your life. What brings you closer to God? What doesn’t? Perhaps more importantly, who brings you closer to God? If nothing else, if you can identify the people in your life that bring you closer to God, you have found friends. And maybe that’s what God has planned for you right now. Friendship.
The moment you might start to freak out (like I did) is when you realize that if God’s plans for you are constantly under your nose, what if that is the same for a future spouse, if your vocation is to marriage? Many people say they marry their best friend. Now, I’m terribly excited to be married and have a family. But the idea that my future spouse has been hiding under my nose, disguised as a good friend, for God-literally-knows-how-long, freaks me out. (It’s almost more comforting to think about your spouse being 2000 miles away, since at least you know he/she’s not hiding under your porch, and you’re not being oblivious.)
Let me tell you why. If you’re anything like me, you’re stubborn on just about everything, and you want to be in control of everything. So when a situation that you think is under your control isn’t, it’s not the most comforting feeling. Furthermore, if you’re like me, and surrender to God’s will long after you probably should have (can you say changed my major after 2 and a half years of college?), and there’s been multiple occasions where this has happened in your life, then you start to wonder: what else is under my nose? What else is hiding under my porch?
It’s all a little overwhelming. It almost makes me glad, in the moment, that as a mere human I can’t figure it all out immediately. Personally, I would never be able to handle all that knowledge in the moment. Despite the discomfort of not being in control, however, it is comforting that Jesus is driving my life bus for me. I think he’s probably the best driver out there, anyway.
Humor aside, after a long post, I think I’d just like to sum up in a couple points, as I don’t think I was being nearly as articulate as I thought I’d be: God has placed desires in our hearts, and they’ve been there forever. We simply need to get to know our own hearts and that will lead to what he wants us to do with our lives. However, if you can’t immediately figure out those desires, you can look to see tangible signs of God in your life, in terms of people and events. When you do start to realize those things, don’t freak out. It could be you found your spouse, or your best friend. I couldn’t tell you for certain, and they probably can’t either. But when you do find the things that fulfill you and build up your soul, don’t be surprised when you realize, months later, that those things were perfect for you and your journey towards God. Also, let God be your driver. Not nearly as easy as it sounds, but it’s becoming easier as I realize that it all truly does come together; with that realization, it means life events are right around the corner (in God’s time, of course. My time means it could be anywhere from tomorrow to 10 years from now. At least I’m somewhat prepared?). Oh boy oh boy oh boy.
Okay, so maybe God doesn’t say “duh!” when we figure out what he wants us to do, but I think that’s the general reaction when we figure things out. What spurs this thought is the realization that everything that God has planned for us is right under our noses. Not seemingly, of course, but considering God’s plan is written on our hearts and we carry our hearts wherever we go, it really is under our noses.
Let me give you an example of this. I’ve been altar serving since I was 9 years old, which makes it some 10 and a half years now that I’ve been serving priests and Jesus at the altar. When you think of an altar server, you think of someone helping set up for Mass, helping others, serving God. Now, fast forward about 8 years, and I start college. I see sacristans at my college chapel and I’m thinking that’s something I want to do too. Set up for Mass, help create the right environment for Mass, serve others, serve God. It’s a no brainer.
Fast forward two years. I’m a junior in college now and changed my major from accounting to hospitality management. How does this relate at all to altar serving, you might ask? Think about hospitality for a minute. It involves the preparation of food, or items, or somethings for an event, or something special, or dinner. You serve others, and in the way I see it, I’m trying to glorify God with doing the best I can with the interests and talents he’s given me. So, the desire to serve at the altar as a 9 year old bears a resemblance to the major I choose 10 years down the road.
That desire, when I think about it now, was truly my own: my parents did not force me into it, none of my close friends were doing it, so it’s not like they influenced me – I really did just want to serve. It seems painfully obvious now that the desires God set in my heart have been there all along, though manifested in different ways.
Now, let’s stop for a moment. Not all your desires at the age of 9 will be the desires you have today. At age 9 I also wanted a bunch of build a bears from Build a Bear Workshop and plenty of American Girl dolls. I’m pretty sure those don’t have a direct application to my life today. But take Fr. Anthony, one of the priests at my Newman Center. One of the things he tells us about his discernment story is that he had always wanted to save lives and help others; initially, he went to college to be a police officer. He found his true calling in the priesthood, in saving souls.
Puts a bit of a different spin on it, doesn’t it?
So let’s take it in a different direction. What happens when you can’t identify a desire like this? I don’t like to sugarcoat things and say that there’s an easy button for figuring out your vocation and what God wants you to do. If you’re in the boat of “I have no idea what desires God has placed in my heart,” then perhaps you could look at what else is under your nose in terms of what God wants you to do with the life he’s given you.
Look at everyone and everything in your life. What brings you closer to God? What doesn’t? Perhaps more importantly, who brings you closer to God? If nothing else, if you can identify the people in your life that bring you closer to God, you have found friends. And maybe that’s what God has planned for you right now. Friendship.
The moment you might start to freak out (like I did) is when you realize that if God’s plans for you are constantly under your nose, what if that is the same for a future spouse, if your vocation is to marriage? Many people say they marry their best friend. Now, I’m terribly excited to be married and have a family. But the idea that my future spouse has been hiding under my nose, disguised as a good friend, for God-literally-knows-how-long, freaks me out. (It’s almost more comforting to think about your spouse being 2000 miles away, since at least you know he/she’s not hiding under your porch, and you’re not being oblivious.)
Let me tell you why. If you’re anything like me, you’re stubborn on just about everything, and you want to be in control of everything. So when a situation that you think is under your control isn’t, it’s not the most comforting feeling. Furthermore, if you’re like me, and surrender to God’s will long after you probably should have (can you say changed my major after 2 and a half years of college?), and there’s been multiple occasions where this has happened in your life, then you start to wonder: what else is under my nose? What else is hiding under my porch?
It’s all a little overwhelming. It almost makes me glad, in the moment, that as a mere human I can’t figure it all out immediately. Personally, I would never be able to handle all that knowledge in the moment. Despite the discomfort of not being in control, however, it is comforting that Jesus is driving my life bus for me. I think he’s probably the best driver out there, anyway.
Humor aside, after a long post, I think I’d just like to sum up in a couple points, as I don’t think I was being nearly as articulate as I thought I’d be: God has placed desires in our hearts, and they’ve been there forever. We simply need to get to know our own hearts and that will lead to what he wants us to do with our lives. However, if you can’t immediately figure out those desires, you can look to see tangible signs of God in your life, in terms of people and events. When you do start to realize those things, don’t freak out. It could be you found your spouse, or your best friend. I couldn’t tell you for certain, and they probably can’t either. But when you do find the things that fulfill you and build up your soul, don’t be surprised when you realize, months later, that those things were perfect for you and your journey towards God. Also, let God be your driver. Not nearly as easy as it sounds, but it’s becoming easier as I realize that it all truly does come together; with that realization, it means life events are right around the corner (in God’s time, of course. My time means it could be anywhere from tomorrow to 10 years from now. At least I’m somewhat prepared?). Oh boy oh boy oh boy.
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