We all know those people. Wildy successful in their field, made all the right career moves, everything seems to have panned out for them just right. They kind of make us feel horrible about ourselves. No? Just me? Ok.
Then there are the rest of us. We might feel like we chose the wrong job out of college, got complacent, and now we’re stuck. Might as well stick it out until retirement at this point, no one wants to be middle-aged starting over in a new job. Well, Sr. Bernice did.
At 16-years-old, Sr. Bernice felt God calling her to become a religious sister. She was a practicing Protestant at the time and her mother was not happy to hear of her new aspirations. Still, Sr. Bernice persisted in becoming a Catholic. However, to her disappointment she could not find an order that would admit her, so she gave up.
It wasn’t until years later, when the Holy Spirt came to her through the words of her Jewish Professor that Sr. Bernice knew what she had to do. Find Mother Theresa and join the Missionaries of Charity. 22 years had passed from when Sr. Bernice first felt the call to become to a nun, to when she finally entered Mother Theresa’s order. She was 38 years old at the time.
This stood out to me as I am currently 38 years old. I am a teacher and over the years have wondered if I chose the right school district or even the right career. There have been times when I hated my job, hated going to work, and I felt like a failure. I can honestly say today though that I love going to work. For the first time in my life, I feel like I am exactly where God wants me. I love my students and I believe I am making a difference in their lives and for the record I am now very, VERY good at what I do. Still, when new teachers come to me for advice I laugh. “Do you know how long it took me to get good at my job?” I exclaim. “It’s embarrassing!”
It makes me wonder about the path that lead me (or kept me) where I am at in my career. Was it coincidence, luck, or the Holy Spirit? Who was it that God wanted me to meet, teach, help? Or perhaps they are helping me.
A year ago, when I started this website, I believed God wanted me to pursue writing as my career. I felt so much pressure and exhausted so much time and money trying to force that to happen. Newsflash, it didn’t. At this point, I’m throwing it back at God. If He wants me to become a best- seller, He knows He is going to have to put someone in my life to help guide. Perhaps my writing is only meant to reach a few readers. For all we know, my husband might be the only person reading this post. Maybe I’m on a 22-year journey like Sr. Bernice. All I know is, God is telling me to write, so I’m writing.
There are many plans in a man’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that will prevail.
Proverbs 19:21
For Sr. Bernice, listening to God lead her to Mother Theresa and 40 years of service and counting with the Missionaries of Charity. If we stay close enough to God so that we may hear His call, where might we be lead?