The Call, the Cost, & the Joy of Obedience
“Whoever can be trusted with little can also be trusted with much.”
— Luke 16:10 NLT
A calling can come back to life in the most ordinary moment.
Jotting down a list during the COVID lockdown of productive ways I could use my time, I sat back in my chair. Taking a quick glass at the 25 things I written, one last thought drifted through my mind. “Learn to write.” I had been talking and dreaming about writing my entire adult life and was convinced that everyone I knew was sick of hearing about it, including myself, and maybe even God.
That dream had been born in my first year of college when I discovered a gift I didn’t know that I had.
But then life filled in--marriage, children, ministry, community. It was all good—I loved it! Writing was set on the shelf marked, Someday. And there it sat for more than thirty years.
Until the day after making that list, when an email landed in my inbox: an offer for five free days of writing workshops. I knew instantly, it was God. Joy flooded in. I began writing articles for our retreat center about growing closer to God and each other. Then a few months later, the Lord placed the idea for Journey with a Giant in my heart.
Time is never barrier to God. I can just about imagine the joy in his eyes as He reached for that long-awaited dream, looked at his daughter and whispered, “I haven’t forgotten. Are you ready?”
It’s beautiful how God weaves our gifts and passions into His purposes. Yet it’s also true that every calling costs us something. One of the greatest mercies of God is that He only shows us a small part of the picture at the beginning.
Think of Mary. When the angel told her that she would bear the Savior of the world, her heart must have overflowed with joy. And yet, was there also a sense of trepidation in her words, “Be it unto me according to your will.” Her “yes” would bring the utmost of joys and sorrows that any human being could know.
So, it is with every calling. They are a mixture of both.
For me, the years that followed included writing classes and conferences, countless drafts, Zoom calls, editing deadlines, and eventually a contract. To make space, I had to step away from some things I loved—leading retreats, occasional family events, even the music festival Bryan and I cherish each November.
That two-year project became five. But I wouldn’t change a thing. Because along the way, I’ve learned that calling isn’t only about the work God gives us—it’s about how He deepens our relationship with Him and who He shapes us to become along the way.
When we say yes, we discover what Jesus meant when He said, “My food is to do the will of the Father.”
Whether your calling is to raise a family, serve those in need, preach the gospel, or write words on a page—when you know you’re doing exactly what He’s given you, no matter the cost—there is no greater joy.
Question:
Is there a gift of dream you sense God may be taking off the shelf in your life?
Listen and watch for where He may move in one of your “ordinary” moments.
If you enjoyed this article, you might also enjoy “God Answers Sheepish Prayers” and “A Be Still Week”.