A fundamental theme that runs through the Bible is "called by name." This short book is not the place to marshal the many and rich biblical texts that bear abundant witness to this theme. What it amounts to is, I am not one in a crowd for God, I am not a serialized number nor a catalogued card; I am unrepeatably unique, for God "calls me by name." This reality I may certainly characterize as my "personal identity," or my "personal orientation in life," or my most profound and true "self." Biblically, however, I prefer to call it my "personal vocation."....
One's personal vocation is one's unique way of being Christian--namely, as we have shown earlier, one's unique way of giving and surrendering self in any human experience.....the Lord has gifted each one of us with a personal secret of becoming and staying free in the midst of any and every personal experience--each one's personal vocation.
Herbert Alphonso, SJ, Discovering Your Personal Vocation: The Search for Meaning Through the Spiritual Exercises
2 comments:
I would appreciate your prayers for our 16 year old, Beth, who is leaving in the wee hours of the morning (Tuesday, Aug 7th) for a one week trip to Mexico. She will be volunteering with a team from our church at an orphanage. Pray for safety in travel, good health, and for spiritual protection. The orphanage is well-run, operates on a shoestring, and it will likely bring all sorts of issues and questions up with her. She has often talked about becoming a missionary -- wanting to work with kids. Since she was 10, she's been helping kids with special needs... but that's here Suburbia.
Pray for peace for Ken and I too... it is hard to send your baby to another country... and into a situation which will stretch her in ways not even we can imagine...
thanks...
Deb
Prayers for Beth and everyone at the orphanage and on the mission trip.
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