How do I Decide?

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I was reading at article in VISION (a publication of the National Religious Vocation Conference) which is packed with good stuff.  I happened to come across Unravel the mystery of your call by Sr. Julie Vieira, I.H.M. who serves from Monroe, Michigan.

The very readable article discussed steps of discernment.  What caught my attention was this:

"Whether you intentionally enter into discernment or it sneaks up on you, discernment is a gift of the Holy Spirit who leads us to be aware of and attentive to how God is moving and calling us in our life."

Discernment, we sometimes think, is a sort of "figuring out."  What am I supposed to be doing?  Am I in the right job?  Is God asking something of me other than what I am doing?  And in the case of this publication, "Is God calling me to religious life?"

But I asked a popular speaker one time about discernment and she responded, "You don't have to figure it out.  It's not like a mystery to be solved.  God will show you."

That being true, one of our human characteristics tends to be to try to sort things out, and that's okay.  But what I have never heard, as in the above quote, is that discernment can sneak up on you.  I have recently had that happen so I really appreciate that perspective.

I am also grateful for the reminder that the restlessness one can experience in discernment is simply God "moving and calling us in our life."

Knowing that, makes discernment much easier, because, together with the advice about not having to figure things out, we can relax a little and see what unfolds.  Ultimately, I have found that when it is time for a decision to be made, the decision becomes pretty obvious if I have given the process time and prayer.

Too often, we want a decision NOW, because that helps us feel like we are in control, but waiting on God is always the best thing we can do, even if it takes longer than we like.

If you are struggling with a particular step in your life, maybe Sr. Julia's "big picture" of the workings of the Holy Spirit will help you gain a new perspective, as you realize that your life truly is in God's hands.  He loves each of us and guides us; our only job it to listen and follow.

May God bless you in your discernment.

Janet Cassidy
janetcassidy.com

#decisionmaking
#howtodecide
#vision

 

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