by Jenna Legg
I do not like talking on the phone. There always seems to be an awkward pause just before I begin talking over someone or the other person seems to be mumbling so I cannot understand what they’re saying. And now, there’s the added annoyance of voice recordings or advertisers calling, practically forcing me to ‘ignore’ the call if it appears to come from an unfamiliar number.
In attempting to create a catchy yet meaningful title for our discernment newsletter, I knew I wanted to intertwine the ordinary event of receiving a phone call with the seemingly extraordinary call from God. Pairing the two together can help us evaluate how we are answering God’s call in our lives.
So, while the analogy can appear cheesy, I think it offers important questions to reflect on for discernment.
Is your phone on silent? In other words, are you open to receiving a call from God? Sometimes fear, anxiety or stubbornness cause us to ignore God. We are afraid of what God may ask of us and so we don’t listen, even though we know God’s call will bring us joy!
Do you know God’s number? Maybe you are missing God’s calls in your daily life because you do not realize it is God speaking to you. A daily examen, reflections on discernment (like this newsletter) and prayer can help you recognize God when He calls.
Do you have time to talk? Busyness is often the reason we miss God’s presence in our lives. How are you making time to connect with God?
Can you hear God? Are there too many other distractions around you? Are you listening to the voice of others instead? Maybe distractions are preventing you from true communication from God. What distractions do you need to mute so that you can hear God better?
Do you understand God? Perhaps the voice of God seems muffled or you cannot understand Him. A spiritual director may be able to help you establish a better connection and determine what God might be saying.
Regardless of where we are in our vocation journey, God is constantly calling out to us, inviting us into a deeper relationship with Him. I invite you to take some time in meditation. Imagine your cell phone rings and God is on the other line. What’s his number? Do you answer? What do you talk about? Is the conversation comfortable? What is God calling you to do?
This is beginning of discernment!