Roadblocks to Responding to God’s Call

As we begin this hope-filled New Year, I thought it would be beneficial to write about responding to God’s call in our lives.  One of my favorite bible stories on this subject is the story of Samuel’s call (1 Samuel 3:1-10, 19-20).  God had to call Samuel’s name several times before he identified that the call was truly from God and then he responded.  In young Samuel’s case, the reason for his delay was that he was not familiar with the Lord, because the Lord had not revealed anything to him yet (3:7).  It was Eli, Samuel’s trusted mentor and temple priest, who helped Samuel recognize God’s call.

I believe one of the most common roadblocks to discerning God’s call in our lives is FEAR.  The root of fear is found in our need to preserve our physiological and psychological safety.  There is a lot of information on the topic of stress response (fear), which is defined as the physiological changes which occur when you face a perceived threat; when you feel the demands outweigh your resources to successfully cope.  I remember that when I heard God’s call to religious life I experienced this normal human stress response that was triggered by my fear of this dramatic life change.  Much like Samuel, I had to discern that the call I felt in my innermost being was from God and then seek how best to respond.  Clarity came through doing the following:

• Daily prayer and time in front of the Blessed Sacrament

• Attending daily Mass

• Allowing myself to get out of my “head” (analysis paralysis!) and listen to my heart, meditating on scripture, and reading books on discernment

• Talking with my family and close friends

• Seeking out wise mentors – God placed amazing people in my path (my parish priest, discernment group leader, spiritual director, and vocation director)

I think the counter balance for fear is God’s LOVE.  John states this so well in scripture “There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear… (1 John 4:18).” Another powerful scripture reference on this subject is found in 2 Timothy 1:7.  In this passage Timothy conveys that God does not give us a spirit of fear but of love and peace.

This spirit of fear is very prevalent in our country today.  We are bombarded by the media’s grim reports about our economy, terrorist attempts on the U.S.; the list goes on and on.  Wouldn’t it be great if we heard stories about letting go of our fears by placing our faith and trust in God?  The founding fathers of our nation did not let fear stop them from forming a nation based on Godly values of freedom and justice FOR ALL.

When we allow our fears to paralyze us, we limit God’s ability to work in our lives.  I am not advocating that we live our lives with reckless abandonment, but rather that we listen to God’s call in our lives and respond in the same way Samuel did by saying,“Speak Lord, for your servant is Listening” (1Samuel 3:9).  In Ruth Burrows’ wonderful book Fire Upon the Earth, Interior Castle Explored, she writes, “We are called to love God above all things with our whole heart and soul and mind.  Love is not a mood of delight or contentment, it is not a warm feeling, it is not an inner glow.  Love is choosing.  I have to choose to Love God.”

If you feel God is calling you to religious life or the priesthood, I encourage you to put God in the driver’s seat.  Please do not allow fear to block your vocation discernment and limit what God can do in your life!  I love being a Sister of Notre and if I had allowed my fears to block me, I would never have found my true vocation.

Blessings,

Sister Valerie Marie SND