We sat across from each other with our coffee cups in hand. The conversation was getting se
rious. He stared intently at his cup. His eyes glazed over with hopelessness and confusion. “David, what is my calling? What is my purpose? What does my future look like?” He wanted direction. He looked at me as if somehow I could point him in the right direction.
It has been an honor over last 20 years or so to experience life with many young men and women. I love it really. There has been a fair share of joys and successes, along with sadness and failures. Whether it be through church, work, or casual friendship, this is a common conversation. Sometimes, I am the one asking these questions. This moment, I was the one listening.
We all have those moments when we can’t see our calling, purpose, or future, when everything around us looks dim and our future seems dark or hopeless. Often times, work can get this way.
At moments like this, I remind myself of the things I told my friend that day over coffee:
- Your calling is around – The best place to look for your calling is “around”. It is easy to lose sight of our highest calling when we have too much focus on ourselves. Our calling is revealed “around” us. Moment by moment my calling changes:
- hug our spouse, children and loved ones
- take on some extra work for a team member who has a family need
- write an encouraging text for the friend you are thinking about
- give way to the car trying to get into my lane
- Your purpose is within – A good friend of mine works for the local school district. When we were just getting to know each other I asked him about his work. He told me he was “just a janitor”. I interrupted him. “Friend, you provide a clean environment for students to learn. You make sure all the heavy materials are in the right places when the teachers need them. You keep the air temperature at the right levels, and the lighting just right. You have an instrumental part in educating the future of humanity. You are not ‘just a janitor’, you are a “way maker”. His eyes lit up. In that moment, he saw beyond his job title, and recognize his purpose. He went to work the next day with purpose. His work didn’t change, but his viewpoint did.
- Your future is unknown – To be honest, we can spend too much time worrying about our future. You don’t know your future, and I don’t know mine. Clearly, I am not suggesting we don’t plan ahead. Of course we should. What I am suggesting is that when we have lost hope in our future, it is our calling and our purpose that we should address. We do not have our future figured out, but we do have this moment.
Comment below – What is one thing you can do this moment to fulfill your calling, clarify your purpose, or get your mind back to the present?