God calls us, but we are not always sure what we are hearing. And even then, He calls us to follow, but not always to know where we are going. Scripture is filled with callings: Abraham, Moses, David, the prophets, the Apostles, St. Paul ... they were called, but they did not know the way. They had to trust God who called them.
They said “yes.” But they never got a blueprint. They didn’t get a schedule. They said “yes,” and then they trusted in Him as their lives unfolded before them.
Everyone must make choices. Are they the right ones? Are we ready to live them? Take marriage as an example; in our vows we promise to remain faithful “’til death do us part.”
In some simple sense, no one is ready for marriage. I’ve been married for nearly 22 years, and I’m still not ready for marriage! How can I be ready for a lifetime of marriage and all that might come? People also talk about being ready to have children. And believe me when I say, no one is ready for children! The responsibility is so immense, the worries so profound – that one can only say “yes” to new life and take each day as it comes.
I jumped out of an airplane once. Let me tell you – no matter how much you prepare, no matter how much you train, you are never ready to jump for the first time out of a perfectly good airplane.
But we say our first yes – and then we keep saying yes for the rest of our lives.
In some sense, when you trust in God, you can never make a wrong turn. You don’t know where you are, you don’t know where you are going, but you are always on course.
We still have to do the best we can to say yes to God each step of the way. Sometimes it’s tough to know what He’s asking of us. Sometimes we know exactly what He’s asking, but it is tough to say “yes.” Especially when faced with moral choices, the right choice is often the most difficult choice.
We know Jesus went through this. When Jesus was in the Garden of Gethsemane before His arrest, He prayed not to have to go through the Passion. But what was His final prayer? “Thy will be done.”
Sometimes you will find that all you have the strength for is to trust God and let Him carry you along to what He has prepared for you.
There are some good habits that can help us when we are faced with discerning the choices that lie before us:
First, do the work of discernment. Be honest with yourself: What are your skills, your gifts, and your limitations? What do people you trust and respect say? It is important to include others in the process. What can make discernment complicated is that we are usually asking God for what we want. It can be tough to hear God, especially when we won’t stop talking, so silence and prayer are critical ingredients for discernment.
Second, trust in God when you are discerning. We learn from Scripture and the lives of the saints that God wants our trust and when we trust Him, God uses our choices to bring us to Him. So don’t get hung up on the idea that there is always one right answer out there. Sometimes you just have to make a choice, and let God take the wheel. Most peo-ple, like the saints, do not wind up anywhere near where they intended to go.
For example, take St. Francis of Assisi: While praying before the San Damiano Cross, he heard God say, “Rebuild my church, which you can see is falling to ruins.” So what did Francis do? He started rebuilding the little dilapidated church he was in. But God was talking about the Church, not a building! Francis didn’t understand, but it didn’t matter. He trusted in God; he said “yes.” And God led the way after that. On his deathbed, Francis’ message to the brothers who had left their lives behind to follow him was: “I have done what was mine to do; may Christ teach you what is yours to do.” You could not have a simpler lesson in discernment than that!
Third, remember that God also uses our human weakness to lead us. We can say “yes” for all the wrong reasons, but God keeps giving us the chance to say “yes” for the right reasons.
St. Vincent de Paul is a good example. Why did he originally become a priest? Because in his day it seemed like a nice, safe and comfortable life. God had other plans for Vincent, though! Even though Vincent de Paul wasn’t really saying “yes” to God, God kept asking him to follow. Vincent eventually said “yes” and became one of the greatest saints to the poor.
Fourth, remember that Jesus chooses us. Jesus lets us know in no uncertain terms that He is not the choice – He is the chooser. In the Gospel of John, Jesus tells the Apostles: “It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you and ap-pointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain, so that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you. This I command you, Love one another.”
When you are chosen, it’s actually easier than having to choose for yourself. All you have to do is say yes. And God takes the wheel for you.
Finally, we must love another. Always. St. Augustine summed it up when he wrote, “Love, and do what you want.”
May God, who chose you, show you what He has given you to do. And never fear, never worry – God is with you!
Scott Salvato serves as the Catholic campus minister at Davidson College.