Courage, He is calling You
A few years ago, in conversation with an elderly nun, she advised me that the first emotion that arises when we recognize a call from God is that of fear. God’s call challenges us to leave our comfort zone. God does not call us to lean back on an easy chair and sip a glass of wine. We wonder - how am I to do this? Why me? I do not have the time. I do not have sufficient funds. I do not have the strength. What will people say? How will my family respond?
‘God’s call’ calls for courage! It requires stepping out in faith, trusting that God equips us with everything we need for the journey. While fear is a natural response, it is often followed by a tentative sense of purpose, recognizing that He is calling us to become more than we imagined possible. Answering God’s call is rarely straightforward; it demands resilience, persistence, and a willingness to be vulnerable.
We are called to surrender our limitations, trusting that God can use them for a greater purpose. Courage, then, is not the absence of fear but the decision to say “yes” to God despite it, knowing that He walks beside us every step of the way. Bartimaeus in this week’s Gospel Mark 10: 46-52, is urged by the disciples ‘Courage, Get up; he is calling you.’
We all are being called by God! Reading this post is a recognition of a call by God, through divine providence. It’s an invitation to know that God’s call doesn’t always come through grand gestures or dramatic moments; sometimes, it comes quietly, through everyday encounters, a gentle reminder in scripture, the words of others, even the onset of a debilitating illness.
Often, God’s call initially appears to a be a failure, a disappointment, a loss. When so, it is a call to change directions. God’s call is never an independent call, it is part of a bigger call that we are being asked to participate in.
Like Bartimaeus, we, are invited to join with others, along the way. God’s call is to participate in community, to play a role, to be an example of courage for others. When we respond with courage, our lives become an unfolding testament to God’s presence, and we draw others closer to the fullness of life He is promising.
As we journey to Advent and Christmas, it is in response to a call. I believe more so this year. In the midst of the turmoil in the world, God is calling us to be part of a grand world movement to change directions. This is why I was inspired to write the small book - A Season of Hope. Please avail yourself of one at the link and start a journal of your journey to Christmas and the Wise Men, and be part of this movement - A Season of Hope LINK