If you are searching sites about discerning a religious vocation you surely are checking the website, www.anunslife.org regularly. Sr. Julie’s posts are always interesting, insightful and challenging. Yesterday’s post, “Is God calling me?” provides such helpful, provocative questions. If you haven’t read it yet I can’t encourage you enough to do so. In fact I recommend using her questions as discernment prayer starters. You might take one or two per day and spend some quality time letting the clarity emerge gradually. Sometimes it’s hard to focus and be quiet so that you can hear where God is leading. Good questions often help.
There are two other reasons why I specially appreciate yesterday’s post. Sr. Julie made such a good point. The beginning of a New Year can provide just the right nudge for getting down to business. Markers like a new year help us get to what we want to do but never quite get around to accomplishing. I know the markers of Advent and Lent always add help me be more serious in my search for God. And on a lighter note, let’s face it, the approach of summer often gets us thinking about exercising and losing weight. So it is a good idea to use the movement into a new year to get serious about a next step in discerning your call.
I guess my second reason is closely related. In any discernment you or I can go around and around in our heads waiting ’til we’re absolutely sure before taking a first step. Of course that only makes us dizzy and confused. It’s the beginning of a new year. Let’s take that step.
