What if God’s calling doesn’t turn out the way you expected?
I love true stories and I’m a sucker for any movie that is based on or inspired by true events. This inclination is what led me to watch a movie called All Saints. It’s about a priest named Michael Spurlock who has to oversee the selling of an Episcopalian church named All Saints. It’s a great movie with many heartwarming poignant moments that delve into faith and trusting in God.
The scene I want to highlight is when the archbishop talks about his first call which was to go to Africa to build chapels. He explains that everyday he would go to build the chapel, only for the locals to tear the wood out at night and use it to build their aqueduct. It turns out this was what they really needed. He tells Michael that “God’s wisdom is vast” and “we don’t always know what He’s asking.” We think we do, but that might not be God’s plan. The archbishop thought he was going to Africa to build a chapel but God was actually calling him to build an aqueduct.
What I’m Learning
We don’t always know the details of everything God is calling us to do. If God has laid a burden on our heart and it’s not turning out the way we imagined. Don’t be discouraged. Instead, take a moment to see what is already in our path. What is He doing that we’ve missed because our focus is on what we think the call looks like. Perhaps God’s calling us to build aqueducts instead of chapels.