What would you have me do Lord?

“Decisions wisely discerned give rise to lasting peace.”

Pope Francis

We ask for many things in prayer, and many of our prayers go unanswered this side of Heaven. Our parish priest once gave a homily concerning our reaction to how God calls us. He mentioned that when the Lord calls you by name, it’s terrifying. He said we often respond with “no, that’s too close” or “no, that’s too much.” Yet, we have examples of people who didn’t falter. Mary gave her full consent – her fiat – to God. Talk about the ultimate lesson in consent – God chose her to carry  and raise the Messiah, but she had to say yes. God didn’t just force it on her.

When I was growing up, the whole “What would Jesus do” campaign was in full swing. I think it’s the wrong question to ask. We aren’t called to do what Jesus would do – we are called to do what Jesus would have us do. Everyone has different skill sets and walks among different groups of people. We aren’t all supposed to do the exact same thing. My role in this world is mine and mine alone – if I don’t fulfill it, nobody else will. Yes, the work will still get done, but it will get done another person’s way. That’s not to say that you aren’t replaceable at work or even within whatever you ministry you serve – but you contribute something unique that nobody else can mimic. I read a story once about a priest who responded to a special request and was complaining internally that somebody else could have filled in. Afterward, he realized there was a person in attendance who needed to hear this message just from him – the message conveyed would not have been as effective if it had come from anyone else because of his relationship to this person.

“What would you have me do Lord?” The question is so simple, but we have to be prepared for the answer, and so most times we don’t bother to ask it. But here’s the deal, if we ask the Lord what he would have us do in prayer, I can almost guarantee that’s a prayer that will have a very clear and quick answer. And whatever it is that He wants you to do will likely be outside your comfort zone (if it were something we wanted to do ourselves, we most likely wouldn’t bother to ask for direction after all).

I thought about that as I prayed that very question this past year. And yes, He did answer very quickly and clearly and boy did he ever ask me to leave my comfort zone, which leads to today’s quote from Pope Francis: “decisions wisely discerned give rise to lasting peace.” I’ve done some things this past year that I wouldn’t have been comfortable doing in years past … leading a Sunday school class, leading prayer in public, among many many others. I was asked to consider leading a women’s group, and I declined saying I didn’t think I’d been a member long enough to lead the group but I would if nobody else was willing. I wound up an officer, but not the lead. Well, fast forward a few months, and I’ve learned the ropes of the running of the group a bit better. The leader stepped down and I assumed that role. The woman who originally asked me to lead laughed and said “I told you you should have been it.” So yes, God sometimes forces our hand, but at least he gave me time to prepare first (and I did still have to choose to accept the role .. He just made sure I had the opportunity to get comfortable doing so first).

I’ve been increasingly more active in our parish this past year. I’ve mostly been at peace with theses decisions and God has given me what I needed in each role when I needed it. Lord knows I have stepped far beyond my comfort zone. I’m trying to learn to not to worry about what is coming next and just focusing on the task at hand. Anxiety kept me from serving for far too long. “What would you have me do Lord” has become a sort of mantra for me this year. So now it’s your turn – what would the Lord have you do?