This is a Call, part 2

(part one of this blog can be found here)

Once again, I am home on vacation, and have the Central Call System calling me about substituting.

The past two mornings, I've had my alarm going off at the latest possible time for me to get up, shower, and get ready to go to a school. However, at that point, there weren't any jobs listed for me, so I would go back to bed. Within the next hour, the phone would ring multiple times with jobs for me, but there was no way I could make it to the school at that point -- so I would go back to bed AGAIN.

I realized that the SMART choice would have been to get up and get ready, and then find out where there was a job available for me.

It made me think about how I should be ready to go where God wants me, even if I don't know where that is just yet, and even if I would really like to stay where it's comfortable. I need to get out of what is comfortable, and begin preparing for any of the possibilities I am considering for next year.

I should be ready to respond and go at the same time. "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God."

I couldn't help but notice the parallels in this situation to listening for God's call. We should be aware of when God might be calling us or speaking to us--which is really any time, not just a few hours out of the day. When He does call us, we should be ready to listen and obey, disregarding other concerns (even family-?). Because He has called us, we should be willing to accept that call, no matter what it is.

I'm really not terribly sure what next year will bring. A year from now, where will I be? Will I be here in MD? Will I be in El Paso? Will I be in Ukraine? Will I be somewhere else?

Right now there are more questions than answers.

The best I know is that I am called to follow Christ, to be made in His image, to worship Him, to share His love with others. Beyond that is unknown to me right now.

"I held these dreams of my heart tight inside, fearing that if I revealed them to anyone, then I might be held accountable to them or be seen as a failure if things didn't work out." ~Brooklyn Lindsey

this is a call

Two days I returned "home" from college for Christmas break, with an intention of substitute teaching while QA schools were still in session. I figured it'd be a good way for me to get some teaching experience, and earn some money on the side. :)

On Saturday, I called the Central Call System to see if any jobs were available. The way Central Call works is that the automated system will list potential jobs for one's acceptance or rejection, and gives the teacher's name, grade, and time. There are set time periods where the system will call potential substitutes in the morning and evening.

Once I got back from church tonight, I made sure my phone's ringer was on, so that I would be ready for any calls from the system. Around 8pm, my phone rang, and the caller ID indicated that it was from the town where my Board of Education is. Putting aside my brother's math question for the time being, I answered the phone and paid close attention. I followed the steps of the automated recordings, and listened to the job listing at KES in 3rd grade. Knowing that the system also records whether or not you accept jobs, I chose to accept this job. Third graders are fun too. :D

After a little while, I began preparing for the next day--making my lunch (I've had enough caf food for awhile), and figuring out what I should take with me.

I couldn't help but notice the parallels in this situation to listening for God's call. We should be aware of when God might be calling us or speaking to us--which is really any time, not just a few hours out of the day. When He does call us, we should be ready to listen and obey, disregarding other concerns (even family-?). Because He has called us, we should be willing to accept that call, no matter what it is.

After that, we should prepare for whatever it is God has called us. It could be beginning to take the next steps, researching the scenario, or otherwise preparing and obeying.