one of my own ' call stories'

Regardless of what anyone's beliefs { or nonbelief, at it may be}are or are not, all humans are called to a purpose. none of us exist to merely take up oxygen and other resources, each and everyone has a purpose or two[ or three or four.....} for our time hear on Earth. Today's sermon lesson was on such ' callings' and since I am a Christian, I shall take a Christian approach to this topic.




Discerning a '"call"  has two components One is the inner voice that tells someone she or he is called to a particular place, job, relationship, ect. Makes sense, yes?




I've spent at least the past two years in my own discernment.  for reasons which I would rather not mention, I felt a need to make a move from one Episcopal parish to another.




My decision to leave Small Parish for Beach Parish was not an easy one, nor did I make that choice to follow that call "suddenly" [ no matter what you might have heard through the local grapevine]


 I'd been in a conversation with God and with some trusted friends regarding this move to beach parish for quite some time. When the right mix of events occurred, it was God SHOUTING to me " Time to move". By that time, I was ready for the next step in my walk with Christ---and as painful as my parting with Small Parish was and still is, I do not regret listening to that inner voice of God telling me that it was past time to move on.




As my mom, she'll tell you that I do not listen to anyone very well or very often. God was shouting at me to get my skinny butt to a different place . Sadly like the stubborn Irish-American hillbilly gal I am, I still didn't listen. after all, God wasn't giving me any specifics about WHY it was time to seek out a new parish home, all God kept telling me that I needed to move on from what I'd come to know and love.[ yes I do love Small Parish}






The second part of the ' call' isn't quite so easy: Does the community affirm the call? In my case, I'd felt both the inner call to leave Small Parish---but was terrified of what that might mean for the relationships that I had built with the people in that community. Best Dude was and still IS a member of Small Parish, and the idea of becoming a two-parish household DID NOT make me feel good. Yet I was restless in the former parish community, and felt out-of-place among them.  try as I might, I felt lonely among them, and only continued to be a part of that parish because I selfishly wanted to spend Sunday mornings with him. Also, are we not supposed to worship in a church near where we live? 


For two years I struggled with these questions and many more. God was telling me what God wanted me to do, and even as I began to see the ' big picture" of what God called me to do I still resisted until some circumstances hit me in what felt like a literal slap in the face. all I shall say about what prompted me to finally listen to God's calling me was that it SUCKED!




 I can say with a clear and joyous heart that Beach Church has affirmed my ' calling' to be a part and among them. I only wish I would have answered this particular call sooner.


Thanks be to God.


Amen.