REFLECTIONS
February 22, 2009
 
 
As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.
Ephesians 4:1-2
 
                                                                                                      
Silent Guidance
                                                                                      
            Most callings are not received from some grand experience; but I believe we all receive them. So often we associate calls with a subliminal message that leads us to a pulpit somewhere, or to a distant land, or into the slums of the city. Sometimes they do, but most often callings lead to something much more common. Most often we are called to live simple lives, to nurture children, to provide for family, and to tend to the needs of friends. And we may not hear them as calls at all. My friend, Charlie is an example.
            Nothing seemed unusual when Charlie followed his dream into college athletics, received his degree, married his high school sweetheart, and accepted a coaching position with a small town high school. There he spent a career inspiring young men to stand strong and give their best while instilling values that would forever shape their lives.
            And when Charlie’s coaching record became noteworthy, surely it opened doors to larger schools, and higher paying jobs. But he chose to stay put. Silent guidance led him to where God wanted him to be, doing what God called him to do whether he felt God’s hand leading him or not. But shaping the lives of young men in a small town was not to be his only call. A second call would wrench his heart.
            No one is ever quite prepared when cancer strikes a loved one, and Charlie was no exception. The battle would be a long one, and Charlie stood in steadfast support while the love of his life mounted a courageous battle that she would eventually lose. But along the way, he shared every step of her walk, always there to lift her up, hold her hand, and share her pain. She was called to model courage, strength, and faith. He was called to be a stalwart of support, love, and prayer.
When a season of life fades into warm memories to be replaced with the chill of loss and uncertainty, new callings are not far behind. I imagine Charlie stands ready for his. God has silently led Charlie through life, and I expect He will silently guide him to the next calling. And just as silently, I expect God to lead us to ours.
We may not hear the calls God makes; and the roles we are called to play may seem like simple ones. But they are important to God. He silently guides us right where He wants us to be.
Let us honor him there.
 
“You are the light of the world,”
Richard Ì
 
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