It seems that this week I have been hit upside the head with the revelation that I am going about some things all wrong. I have been preoccupied for the last few months with trying to figure out God’s calling on my life. I’ve wanted to know the specifics—job, city, house, etc. I’ve been comparing my life to what I dreamed about as a child, and trying to figure out why it doesn’t match. I’ve completely ignored everything unplanned that has been good.

So thankfully I’ve been shoved this week in another direction. And I did need a good bit of shoving…I finally got the picture after a 3-point life sermon, how appropriate. First, I got into a discussion with a friend of how specifically God works in our lives…whether or not he shows us which job to choose, which house to buy, etc. Then, I was reading a book I picked up this week, and was nudged to think about any differences between my imagined life and my real life, and anything I am thankful for about that. I was surprised to come up with a list of things that haven’t happened in my life that I’m thankful for.

Then finally this morning the sermon at church was all about discerning our calling. His first point was that our highest calling is Micah 6:8—to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with our God. He also talked about the fact that although there is no one single plan, we work out our calling with fear and trembling. We are involved, but we need to be still, to listen and discern God’s movement.

The part of the sermon that really hit me is that God’s desires will be made known as we respond, that we are to be faithful where we are now. One of the things I’ve been so arrogant about is the fact that I believe that I determine exactly what will happen next in my life. Not only have I refused to see the path that brought me to this point, but I have also refused to acknowledge the fact that each event in my life has prepared me for the next. God does not owe me the life I imagined for myself long ago, but he has other, better plans.

I’m really curious to hear if other people have opinions on this. I thought I had calling all figured out in college, but yeah…not so much. Not that I get it all now…part of what I’ve learned is that I know WAY less than I think I do about the future.