Vocation

Today I have been pondering the idea of vocation. It was probably partially implanted there by my reading a book review of Gene Veith's book, God at Work. I love the Reformation idea of vocation: God's calling in and on our lives; that for which God equips us and provides opportunity for us to use in service to Him and others. If you can grasp what God has called you to do and do it, there is much peace and satisfaction!

In different seasons of life, I think our vocation is sometimes different, or the call of God on our lives changes for a time, or for eternity. All my life I have seen my vocation as teaching. I think God gifted me for it, and provided opportunities for me to serve others and glorify Him in doing it. But my current season of life has removed the ability to teach (at least in a class or study group setting) from me. While I am saddened by this (because I love teaching) I am determined to see what God's calling is for me in this season.

This afternoon, like I do every afternoon, I climbed into my comfortable chair with my prayer notebook and my bible and my copy of Owen's Mortification of Sin, and a heating pad, and after reading and reflecting and praying, I laid back and drifted off to sleep. And part of my calling for this season occurred to me. God is calling me to draw near to Him. He's providing both the time and the motivation, and calling me to spend my afternoons with Him. What a delightful notion, and an irresistible invitation! For those of us who are by nature "doers", times of quiet and enforced rest can gall and chafe. But if I keep my eyes fixed on the one who invites me to Himself, I am calmed, and see only beauty in my quiet afternoons.