Life Calling

 

Thursday evenings over the last five weeks have been transformed for me and I believe for all who attended the Lent Course at St Matthew’s House. In a warm, friendly and convivial environment beside the roaring fire at the vicarage we sat down together and, guided by Fr Stuart, had a look at some very challenging questions about our lives, God’s place in them, and the direction we are heading in. What constitutes a calling or vocation? Do we all have a calling from God that we are or should be following? How do we know what our calling is? Are we following it or letting the obstacles in our life obscure it? How can we open ourselves to finding this out and hearing the voice of God in our life? How do we handle our burdens? Is the ultimate freedom to be found by aligning ourselves with God’s will?  Tough stuff right from the word go.

 

Looking at some clips – which had many of us tearful - from the film ‘Billy Elliot’, and reading a wide variety of biblical and secular passages written by Christians and atheists, helped fuel our discussions. There was a feeling of unity as we discovered that many of us – although with totally different lives and burdens – often felt the same way and had similar difficulties. The idea that we get bogged down on a daily basis with the urgent but not important tasks of our lives (so that the important but not urgent gets pushed aside) certainly resonated with many.  Pausing for reflection, remembering to be thankful, and trying to follow the way that Jesus carried his burdens with the support of God, were ideas that emerged.

 

I found particularly encouraging the idea that if we are doing every day what we feel we are called to do, trying to pay attention to the voice of God in our life, however ordinary these things may seem – then we are honouring and serving God.  It is hard to sum up the wide range of ideas and conversations that we had over these five evenings, and everyone who attended will have taken something different from them. It was remarkable how comfortable and supportive the environment felt as we explored some challenging questions.

 

I would like to thank Fr. Stuart for encouraging me to come along to the course and step quite radically outside my comfort zone.  Although this kind of introspection is not easy and often not very comfortable, I feel that I have gained a great deal from it. The discussions have spilled over into my everyday life and helped me handle my own tough stuff. Some seemingly simple ideas about reviewing one’s day and talking to God at the end of it have radically changed my perspective.  I think I am not alone in feeling that I have taken a lot of ideas from the course which I will be thinking about for a long time.                                                                             Carolyn Kolasinski