Today is another in a series of getting ready for CH-BOLC. I realized my journey to this point involved discernment as I struggled to hear God’s call. Rather, I didn’t struggle to hear God’s call, I struggled to accept that this was my calling! I knew I was called to ministry and I always expected that I would be a church pastor but never dreamed that I would be an Army Chaplain. Mind you, there were moments in my life when I thought the military would be a noble profession and I always thought I may have missed an opportunity to be part of the military.
Enter the call to chaplaincy. It was there all along but I had to be in prayerful consideration of what that calling truly meant. It meant a lot of prayer, a lot of conversations, and a lot of time by myself thinking and reflecting. All paths seemed clear once I began to spend time in prayer and reflection.
Discernment is an interesting thing. We all want to know what we are doing and we want it to be as clear as possible. If the truth be told, it is not always (and usually rarely) clear. There are clues and there are markers along the way, but we need to pray and reflect to see them. Actually, I am going to rephrase that, I think the path is clear to us but we are so often wrapped up in life that we totally miss the clues. Moses was tending sheep in the middle of nowhere. He was in tune with his sheep and with his environment. He was also still for much of his time tending sheep. This allowed him to hear God’s call when it came. I honestly am not still very long and my attention span can vary greatly depending on the task. It is only when I stop and pray and reflect that I do see God’s path set before me.
In days filled with trouble, I search for you. And at night I tirelessly lift my hands in prayer, refusing comfort. -Psalm 77:2 (CEB)
Okay, so my days are not filled with trouble but the verse fits because I think we need to tirelessly lift our hands in prayers and refuse to stop. I think we need to seek God’s guidance as we seek to follow God’s plan.
So by know, you are probably wondering what I am babbling on about with discernment and CH-BOLC. That is a great question. I am still discerning God’s call for the next phase of chaplaincy. I am still discerning where this current path will lead. I may have my doubts but this is a God thing and so I continue on this path.
For God and for country. Hooah!
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