Made For This
When you have a sense of calling, whether it’s to be a musician, soloist, artist, in one of the technical fields, or a plumber, there is something deep and enriching when you realize it isn’t just a casual choice, it’s a divine calling. It’s not limited to vocational Christian service by any means.
Charles R. Swindoll
Last week, my family traveled up to Morristown, NJ to watch our most recent Seeing Eye Puppy, Rio, go through his Town Walk. The Town Walk is like a final exam for puppies in training with The Seeing Eye. When dogs are ready to work with a visually impaired person, puppy raisers like my family are invited up to Morristown to watch the Town Walk. During the Town Walk, a puppy guides its trainer through the streets of Morristown, and puppy raisers follow behind at a distance. During our Town Walk, a volunteer with The Seeing Eye walked with us and answered our questions.
Watching Rio, it was clear he liked what he was doing, and he was doing his job well. He kept his trainer safe when oncoming traffic or uneven sidewalks presented a hazard. When we last saw Rio in June, he was still a “crazy” puppy. Over the past few months, he has gone through a transformation. Our volunteer escort commented “Rio is doing what he was made to do, and he loves it.”
Have you ever had this feeling?
Have you ever felt like you were doing what you were made to do?
The past two or three weeks, I have had this feeling several times. This feeling came each time I had the chance to speak to people.
First, I spoke at my Toastmasters club at our Open House event a few weeks ago. It wasn’t my favorite speech, but I definitely felt charged up by the experience.
Next, I spoke four times at my company’s annual management meeting. The opportunity to speak in front of the top managers of my company was a little scary, and it was a lot of work to prepare and to present. But I left the experience very encouraged. I felt nervous, but I also felt comfortable presenting in front of this group.
Finally, I had the privilege and honor of presenting last week for a public speaking class at Penn State University – Abington Campus. In addition to the presentation, I had the opportunity to share encouragement and tips about public speaking to the students. When I arrived home at 10 PM, it took me a while to settle down. I loved speaking and helping the students.
These experiences have confirmed I was made to speak. I still have a lot of work to do to train and grow. And that’s okay! In the meantime, I will keep looking for opportunities to speak and to do what I was made to do!
Have you discovered your calling? What were you made to do? What are you doing about it?