This is a devo. i found. i thought it was pretty cool. its about the calling God has for you. I know its kina long, so you could just print it out and read it later.
In Step — Would the Shy Girl in the Back Stand Up, Please?
by Natalie Lloyd
My friend Lauren just called to say, “Hey,” and our conversation drifted from how there’s way too much foam on the lattes at our favorite coffee shop to what we’re learning from God. (This is how many of our conversations go.) She shared the coolest quote about our calling, which she attributed to author Frederick Buechner: “Calling: The place where your deepest gladness and the world’s greatest hunger meet.”
A calling isn’t just a random vocation God places in front of us. A calling is where our passions and talents fit with the place in which we are. We aren’t simply called to a certain career; we’re called to be God’s ambassadors anywhere we’re needed.
It’s ironic that Lauren and I were discussing that, because lately, a lot of unusual things have popped into my mind during prayer. I read an article on the Christian response to the AIDS crisis in Africa and couldn’t stop thinking about it.
I’d recently subscribed to the “The Voice of the Martyrs” newsletter and found myself going online daily to read more. The Voice of the Martyrs staff is doing more than just talking about a problem; they’re doing something about it. As is usually the case when I read about impoverished areas, I started to think about what I can do to help — right where I am.
In the area I’m from, the literacy rate is rather low. Because I enjoy literature so much, it saddens me to think someone might not be able to write his or her name or read Scripture! Somebody needs to change this, I thought, as I sipped my foamy latte and returned to whatever I was doing.
I’m notorious for shrugging off ideas, believing they’d be far too complicated to actually pull off. But as I thought about Buechner’s quote, God made something very clear to me: I need to do a little less talking and a lot more doing. I need to become an advocate.
Where Passion Meets Purpose
When I think about passionate people, I think of Amy Carmichael. Amy grew up on the rocky shores of Ireland, always sensing a call to minister to the poor. What started as a Bible study in her hometown for the “shawlies” (girls who worked in factories and wore shawls on their heads to keep warm) became a passion to be a missionary to the Indian people. She created the Donovar Fellowship and saved thousands of kids from prostitution and slavery, gave them medical attention and introduced them to Christ.
Another person with a passion is a friend and mentor. She was my boss one summer when I worked with a local women’s shelter. Vickie has a contagious love for God. She’s enthusiastic, encouraging and has a knack for making people feel special. Vickie counsels women and children who’ve been abused. She helps move their belongings into the shelter, making the shelter seem more like a safe haven and less like a foreign and uncomfortable place.
But she doesn’t stop there. Vickie also extends God’s love and grace in a way only she can. This tiny woman can walk into court in stilettos and a black suit and stand beside a client with confidence and grace, and she can pack that same emotion into wrapping presents for kids at Christmas or cooking dinner for a family who otherwise wouldn’t eat on Thanksgiving. Like Amy Carmichael and a host of other women, Vickie doesn’t just talk. She has a purpose. She’s driven, and her drive comes from one source — God.
Speak Out!
A verse that means so much to me is Proverbs 31:8: “Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute.” Wow! It’s exciting that God has called us to be a voice for those who can’t speak for themselves.
Something that might surprise you is that although I’m very friendly, I’m also very quiet when I first meet someone. I’ve learned to handle myself well in large crowds, but my dearest friends know I’d prefer a movie or playing a game to being in a large group! At a function, I’m the shy girl who prefers to be in a corner chatting with a few friends.
I try to use that part of my personality as an excuse sometimes. I think, Hmmmm. Surely God wouldn’t ask someone shy, like ME, to do this for HIM. Wrong. God calls all of us, and I’ve noticed my slightly less-invasive way of talking with people is more of a help than a hindrance.
A New Year’s Resolution
For whom can you be an advocate this year? Maybe you have a heart for the elderly and have been thinking of starting an Adopt-a-Grandparent program. Perhaps you could forgo an afternoon at the mall to volunteer at a Special Olympics event. You might be able work with kids at a local children’s hospital. Maybe you need to create a club at your school that reaches out to the community. God knows that as young adults we don’t have the financial resources to do much at this point in our lives, but He has given us little increments of time to share with other people.
Bold and courageous servants didn’t become bold and courageous overnight. They learned to trust God daily and take their own unique passions and talents to further His kingdom. Don’t just talk about making changes around yourself. Take hold of that God-sized dream, step out in faith, and go for it!
