Rev. Barbara Zimmerman
Many Biblical characters have found themselves at a “crossroads”.
I invite you to explore your own crossroads. Let’s start with a physical image: picture yourself standing out on the corner of the intersection where Hwy. 12 meets the road into town. Now let’s assume there is no particular task or reason to go to a specific place.
Standing there, you have four choices: north, south, east or west. There’s a lot of houses to the north, so you might choose to go to someone’s home ─ maybe even your own.
If you choose to go west, you will come to bigger towns and cities. So maybe you want to go to the city. If you go east, there are a lot of smaller towns and open country, so maybe you will want to go to the country. If you went south? Well, these days, to ‘go south’ usually means to seek warmer weather. So I picture ‘south’ as a resort in Mexico or an RV park in Arizona.
There is any number of reasons you might choose a direction to go. But what if, before you set out, you asked yourself the God question: “Where would God want me to go”, or, “In which place will I find God, or the opportunity to do the work God would have me do?”
The hard part is to not be tempted to answer the question of which way to go for yourself before you set out! You absolutely have to be able to let that go; to literally let the Spirit take over.
But we also have to be able to think about this metaphorically, rather than literally.
Let me give you an example. When we ask young adults about their future plans, we sometimes use the expression, “Where are you going with your life?” or “What is the path you will follow?” Alternatively, we might say, “What is calling to you?” We do not mean a literal highway or sidewalk.
It is regrettable that, in our society, it is no longer common or popular to use the language of God’s call or God leading.
But that doesn’t change the fact that that is exactly what it is. It is still God who calls us to our in-born potential because, after all, isn’t it God who created that in-born potential within us?
Some of us are called to specific vocations ─ another word that is no longer used much ─ like ministry.
But to feel compelled or drawn to other lines of work (for example, teaching, or medicine or social work, or many many other occupations) is a calling, too. Some are called to be farmers and some are called to be parents…none of these are mutually exclusive and many people are called to more than one path in their lifetime.
There is something rather sad about a person who goes through life not following their call, or prevented from following it – their inner-most potential – in some way.
It is not always easy ─ in fact, I might go so far as to say, it is never easy!
If it was easy, there wouldn’t be any growth in it! At any age, ask yourself the God question: Where does God want me to be right now? And let God answer the question. You might be as surprised by the journey as by the destination, and the outcome.
Barbara Zimmerman is the reverend of the Castor United Church.