Romans 11:29 "For God's gifts and His call are irrevocable."
We all have a place and a call in God's heart and in God's plans.
One way for each of us to know what God's plans are for us, is by paying attention to the gifts and talents He has blessed us with. I also think those gifts and talents can change throughout our lives and therefore we always need to be present and paying attention to His call.
Early on in my career I was petrified of public speaking! I was so unsure of myself and not at all confident in myself or what I had to offer. But, God does equip the called...and sometimes equipping the called is by walking straight through a path of difficulty and challenges.
When I do leadership training and development, one of the things we talk about is the idea of "being" and "doing." The "doing" consists of those things that are rational and often times more comfortable because we have been educated and trained on the "doing". "Being" on the other hand can be more difficult because it is about being still and listening to our heart and our spiritual being. The challenge for us in using our gifts and paying attention to God's call is that we can't choose our head/doing over our heart/being. We must center ourselves with both.
The poem Footprints takes on a whole new meaning for me when I look back on my life and the challenges I walked through. During those times of struggle, we don't always feel God's presence with us, but when we look back on those times today, We can see Him walking right beside us.
The difficulties that I have walked through have definitely prepared me for my life today and I couldn't be more grateful. Public speaking is something that I still can't believe I am comfortable doing and yet I am. I think we know what God's gift and call are when we carry out the call and we say to ourselves...I have no idea where that came from, but it felt good. I believe it's because it came from the Holy Spirit.
God has prepared me for continuing to carry out His message that He called Sara to begin. Sara was faithful in using her gifts and following God's calling. Continuing her legacy and carrying out God's message of joy and surrender here on earth is humbling and rewarding. I pray that He will continue to equip me with an open mind, humble heart and faithful feet.
When we surrender our lives to the one who knows the call and knows the gifts He has blessed us with, our lives will be filled with Joy.
You can learn more about God's calling by reading the book Choose Joy: Finding Hope and Purpose When Life Hurts.