There are many, many reasons to follow a call. Just one is that it brings you to places that
you never would have discovered otherwise.
Dr. Conrad Fischer wrote in his book Routine Miracles “Now I know that a calling can bring you to
strange place.” He is referring to a
decision he made early in his career. It
was 1991, the year between residency and being chief resident. The Director of Critical Care invited him to
work in a small hospital in New York City called St. Clares. Half the beds were for AID’s patients. Most of his teachers told him not to go, saying,
“Once you have a place like that on your CV, your career in academic medicine
is over. No one will want you.” He went anyway.
When I became Executive Director of Lumunos (then called
Faith at Work), it required moving from Vermont to Washington DC. DC was a “strange place” to us, way further
south than we had ever lived. And we
loved Vermont, so it was not a move we were excited to make. But the call was strong, and we both agreed
it was the right decision.
While there were challenges to those years, I would not
trade them for anything. The people we
met, the small church we connected with, the differences we encountered—all
have enriched my life in many ways.
I wonder if that is one of the reasons God calls us—to get
us moving, to open us to new experiences, to show us places we wouldn't otherwise go. Maybe Jonah needed Nineveh as much as it needed him.
Reflection Question:
When has a calling brought you to a “strange place” or a place you wouldn't have predicted?
Thoughts? Please feel free to post your comments below, and share!
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