Where's the Burning Bush?

Walk with me, good and loving God, as I journey through life.
May I take your hand and be led by your Holy Spirit.
Fill me, inspire me, free me to respond generously to your call.
For I believe you desire my deepest joy,
and it is only in your company
that my soul will be satisfied
and my life will find its meaning and purpose.
Amen.

Noah, Moses, Samuel, and even Jesus were lucky. God spoke directly to them, told them what they were going to be doing. That would be so awesome: hearing God speak directly through burning bush, a voice in the night, or a dove descending from the sky. But most of us aren't that lucky. Most of us don't have this burning bush moment where our direction is clear. I believe that most of us just do the best we can with what we have, which is usually an interest or strength in something. Personally, I have questioned my own calling and steps I am taking to live it out because I haven't had the burning bush moment. . . and I don't think I'm alone. However, I think I have had a burning bush, I just didn't recognize it immediately because it was disguised more as a smoldering branch.

I've known for a long time that my calling is to empower people through teaching. My teaching has taken many forms from traditional classroom teaching to one-on-one discussions to email relationships with people. It gives me great fulfillment to see people discover a new skill, gain the confidence to live out a dream, or make change they have been considering. Six months ago, I was sure that my calling would be lived out in the church. In fact, I think I was more focused on the "where" of the calling versus the "what."

In the aftermath of the"shunning" from my church, I truly questioned my calling. All this time, teaching opportunities were popping up all over: a friend started a business she had been dreaming of; training jobs kept appearing; I provided insight to others who had been wounded by the church. At the time, I looked as these experiences as just confirmation from God that I was indeed gifted and needed. Now I see these as my own personal "burning bush" or voice of God calling out "Catherine. . . " Indeed God was affirming my gifts as a teacher. God was also telling me that my calling has not changed, just the mission field where I will live my calling out has changed. My call to teach, to guide, and to affirm others is for the world, not just the church. God lives in the entire world, not just in the church, so this makes perfect sense.