People who have come alive

There are a number of people in my life these days who are asking important questions about call and vocation.  Perhaps it’s because our world feels so chaotic right now.  Perhaps it’s because we all face moments where we wonder if we’re devoting our lives to worthy pursuits and living into our gifts.  Perhaps it’s because this winter has felt especially long and we’ve just had more time for introspection.    

Sometimes it’s helpful to take a step back and contemplate how we’re spending our days.  How we spend our days is, after all, how we spend our lives.  It’s not always going to be glamorous or notable.  Dishes need done.  Meals cooked.  Garbage taken out.  Diapers changed.  Homework completed.  Bills paid.  Commutes driven.

Yet it’s good to sometimes ask ourselves if we feel truly alive with what we’re doing.  Not just talking about work, talking about however we’re spending our days!  The quote above from Howard Thurman is one I keep close.  (Howard Thurman was Martin Luther King Jr.’s Pastor and the Dean of Marsh Chapel at Boston University, among other positions in his career.)  His words are an invitation to take time to do things and be with people who make us feel fully alive!

In the end, our world does need people who have come alive.
May it be so with us!