What makes your heart sing?
Elizabeth Wild is Director of Mission and Ministry and Diocesan Director of Vocations and Ordinands in Hereford Diocese.
Much of my job is about journeying with people as they explore what it is that God is calling them to do in their lives. It’s an amazing privilege to share this journey with people, and you may have your own experiences of having these kinds of conversations with your own friends or family.
It can be hard for any of us as different points in life, when it doesn’t seem clear what the next step should be. We might be at a crossroads, with choices that might take us in very different directions. Or we might be on the threshold of a new chapter in our lives – finishing school or University, retiring from work or experiencing bereavement. It may be a time of excitement or loss or a combination of emotions with some confusion mixed in.
It is at times like this that people often ask the question, “What am I really meant to be doing with my life?” Or if we have a Christian faith, “What does God want me to do with my life?” And this can lead to some deep soul searching.
Whenever I have found myself wondering about this, the question I am always drawn to is the title of this article: “What makes your heart sing?” Perhaps your answer is doing something you love or being with someone special. It might be your work or something you do in your spare time. It might be a wonderful experience or a deep sense of peace that tells you, yes, this is good and right for now, even though it may be hard.
Long ago, when I had a job I loved and a very young family – more love – I found that what made my heart sing was doing creative things in church with other people. God was involved. Together with a bunch of different folk we came up with all sorts of creative ways of connecting with what we thought mattered to God – justice and care for creation, loving one another and learning to love ourselves as children of God, questioning things and being challenged by the gospel of Jesus Christ, wrestling with difficult issues and finding God in the midst of the mess and muddle of life. It made my heart sing, and it prompted me to begin the long journey towards being a priest in the Church of England.
Of course, there are all sorts of ways of serving God in our lives, not just in ordained ministry but also as lay people in church and in the wider world – in what we do at work and at play. But if we listen deeply to the call of God in our lives and come to know Christ through prayer and bible reading and being part of a church and engaging with the world God created, the deepest longings of our hearts will be a great guide to what God wants for us.
So, I wonder what might happen if you ask yourself the same question:
What makes your heart sing?
Could it be the same as what makes God’s heart sing?
If you’d like to have a chat about what you think God might be calling you towards in your life, do contact your parish priest or feel free to contact me or come to our next Vocations Gathering on 22nd February, 11am-1pm at Ludlow Mascall Centre Clun Room.
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