The Stories We Live

Vocation becomes, then, a creative act, something we create with God and others, unique to each of our lives.
- Kathleen Cahalan

I've been given this book to reflect upon and it seems so appropriate that it has fallen into my hands at such a time. Isn't it interesting when God surrounds you with reminders by different avenues that you need to pay attention? I think God speaks to me in puzzles - pieces I have to put together for myself requiring paying attention to myself and the world around me to understand. This book is all about "calling" and vocation. The author reminds us that God's callings are all around us, but we have a hard time seeing them. 

What is "calling"?

I'd like to think of calling as the action and movement through our unique story, and the passion that we use for the good of others. I like how the author introduces the use of prepositions to talk about calling. She points out that when most people talk about calling, they refer to a static thing (a noun). For example - "I'm trying to figure out what my vocation is". This leaves me with a sense of this solid thing I am trying to grasp at, that is already pre-made and complete. But our lives are not pre-made and complete. We are on a life-long journey of learning and growing.

I've heard of a story told by George MacDonald (a favourite 19th century Scottish writer and minister) that a young child was reluctant to want to go to heaven because he was told he would become a pillar of God, and he didn't want to become a pillar. Who would? A pillar is static, immobile, and cannot play. We are meant to be creative and imaginative all of our days, and beyond our days on earth. Why would God give us imaginations if we were not made to use them?

Instead of the static noun use of a vocation, the author suggests using prepositions (which in grammatical terms are small words serving to mark relation). This would include words such as by, to, as, from, for, in, through, within. I love that prepositions express relationship, and that is exactly what we were made for - relationship with God, and with other people.

The thing about using prepositions to talk about calling is that it is always moving. It puts us in the creative act of imagination that is unique to each of our lives and moves us forward. It is the story we tell with our lives. 

When I muse about how God created us to create, I always think about sub-creation, which is something J.R.R. Tolkien wrote a lot about. He believed that we were made to be sub-creators in this world. As you may know, he was a master sub-creator, inventing the world of Middle-earth and the vast history, stories, lineages, languages, and maps. He took his job as an earthy sub-creator seriously and look what he has made - the most complex, detailed, and beautiful tales of love, sacrifice, and goodness. He followed his passion of creating a world and its history, which has inspired millions of readers who have encountered The Lord of the Rings and writers who ventured into a new kind of way of telling stories to a modern world.

Through the book, she goes through many different prepositions and talks through ways our calling can be seen in those actions. She writes about being called as a follower, being called as we are, being called from places or situations, being called for service and work, and several other ways. Touching on all aspects of life, I could begin to see how we all have many different callings on our lives, and we live them out in our own ways.  This inspires me to dive into my own callings, because I know they are unique to me, and God will show me ways in which I can do good with these gifts I have. I don't doubt that God can find ways to put me to use. I just need to keep paying attention for what He is showing me.