April 10, 2019 God has a great sense of humor. While I have numerous stories that could help prove that assertion, this week’s chief reminder of God’s sense of humor is the fact that I’m writing about vocations when my week included a day during which both my son, Jake, and I cried before the morning school bus had arrived. I sent my husband a text message that morning: “I’m no good at this parenting thing.” Being a spouse and parent is not for the faint of heart. I think we all have those moments when we question whether we’re on the right path in terms of our relationships with our spouses and children. We all have those moments when we regret our anger, our apathy or our bad decisions, and how those things affect our loved ones. We all have those moments when we think, “God, are you sure this is what you want for me? I’m not qualified for this.” Then, as I wrote and read the stories of others discerning and living their vocations, I was reminded that no vocation is easy, that we all feel unqualified. I read of an aspiring deacon trying to determine whether that vocation can coexist with a career in law enforcement. I read of a family praying for patience to deal with the difficult moments of parenting and marriage. I heard a priest speak about not having certainty as he surrendered his life to God. It’s a good thing, as the saying goes, that God doesn’t call the qualified, he qualifies the called. Whether we’re called to single life, consecrated life, marriage, the diaconate or the priesthood, living our vocations is a gift. It’s not always easy, but it comes with amazing graces and opportunities to be conduits of Christ love, as long as we keep Him at the center. And I’d like to think that God appreciates our efforts, even when we fail. I’m sure he sometimes even laughs at our moments of colossal unworthiness. Afterall, He has a great sense of humor. |
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