God's plan for your life!

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We hear that expression all the time. Do you know God’s plan for your life?

I don’t have a clue about God’s plan for my life.
 
I am pretty sure for the time being it includes doing my job properly, keeping the house clean, being a good wife, mother and grandmother, and controlling my blood sugar.
 
I never had a clue. Ever. I went to college because I figured that’s what my parents wanted me to do. I got a job teaching because I had to do SOMETHING with my degree. Every single day when I woke up for work I felt ill. Every single job I’ve ever held my entire life it’s been the same way. I woke up with a feeling of dread that I had to go and waste my day.

Then, through a series of Divine interventions (which stopped just short of a hand reaching from the heavens and knocking me on the head), I became a parent. And then I knew I needed to stay home with my children. Then I knew I needed to stay home with my children and homeschool them. And for the first time in my entire working life, I wake up at peace. I don’t dread the start of each day. I don’t see it as wasting my time. I know that I am doing exactly what Our Lord has called me to do (now, I still get all the things mothers get: irritated, annoyed, short of temper, grouchy, etc. etc., but the peace is still there, like a river under it all).

The difference? I started asking God to make me a vessel for His Will. I told him I was tired of doing it my way, since my way sucked, and that I wanted to be part of his plan. Sincere prayer. I couldn’t know God’s plan for my life until I was truly willing to participate in it.

Hope this helps.
C
 
God speaks through circumstances. He made me, so my personality and interest and talents and needs speak His will in and for my life. I have always sought to live authentically and have never considered the idea of bumbling along or following someone else’s script for how my life should be. Along with that, I am placed in a particular place and time with certain opportunities in the environment, and opportunity knocks and off I go.

So…that means, my work is what I have always done by natural inclination, with professional training added on top to make it official. I have a terrific job that uses my talents and gives me pleasure while serving others and buttering my bread. I live in Appalachian eastern Kentucky, which is a pretty special and unusual place, not easy by any means, but with its quiet delights for the attentive soul. My active and very social work is balanced with a life of pleasant solitude, study, and prayer; I am an apostolic hermit!

God has always been at least in the background, and often in the foreground, and I’ve wandered in and out of the Church but never “gone shopping.” God is the great I AM, and I have resonated with Him in different ways in my understanding of and devotion to Him over the years; here, music, there, art, and there again, architecture, and whispered in history and poetry; silent transfigurational prayer; strong bonds of compassion with those who suffer and struggle; and much takes place outside of a church building on that one morning a week. No matter my current process and path, God is there. I guess that red lamp is the sign of the larger reality.

I bless His name for every apparently bad thing that has happened in my life, for its contribution to wearing down pride and attachments to the lesser good things that are merely of this world; and I bless His Holy Name for all the undeserved benefits received. Every good and perfect gift comes from Him!

Although it doesn’t matter much to me, it seems to affect others when I say that I am a two-time cancer survivor, and it seems that in the background of my life there’s that next follow-up scan and this clipping here and there for another biopsy. Nothing serious, really, just a constant in life now. Whatever happens, God is Good, and it’s ALL a blessing.

*I know that my Redeemer liveth,
And though worms may eat this body,
Yet in my flesh shall I see God.
For now is Christ risen from the dead,
The first fruits of them that sleep.
*
 
I just do what I feel God wants me to do based on the information he’s given me, and make a concious effort to realize that I will very likely end up doing something different, so don’t get too attatched to that plan.

A friend recently asked me what I would do if I was in a certain situation he’s in. I said I didn’t know. His response was “But you always know EXACTLY what you want!” I don’t know how I gave that impression 😛 I told him all of my decisions come after a LOT of debate and prayer. He seems to have missed that this time last year I was planning on being a Protestant Veterinarian attending a school up North and someday having two - three kids, wheras now I am a Catholic entering a culinary school with hopes to someday raise up a small Catholic army someday!

Live life and make plans; just don’t get too attatched to them. That’s become my motto!
 
I thought I was following God’s calling by going to Bible study after Bible study and by exploring a calling to the Franciscan friars (I was still an Anglican at that time).

Then I met a girl, and fell head-over-heels in love. I thought I wasn’t following God’s call because the girl was a pagan and because I found myself feeling so ecstatic every time we talked.

Then, after I prompted her to read some of the Bible, the girl became Catholic, I became her fiance, and I am awaiting reception into the Catholic Church. I would say God will find His way of telling you His plan.👍
 
I really feel you never truly know what God’s plan is. Part yes, be a Good Catholic, follow his Commandments.
 
My experience has been that when I am following God’s plan for my life, everything fals into place, and there is peace. Example: I taught in both Catholic and public schools and decided to get a Master’s in Elem Ed. Somehow, the classes I needed weren’t offered when I needed them. Then I was talking to a woman who said that she had just graduated from my Alma Mater with a Master’s in Pastoral Counseling. The next week, I saw an ad in the paper that that school was having an open house for the Pastoral Counseling program, so I decided to go. By the time I left the open house, I was registered and had my financial aid! Now I am a Pastoral Counselor, and I believe that this is where God wants me. BTW, I celebrated my 60th birthday shortly after I graduated!

Peace,
Linda
 
At the age of 16 I was very sure of God’s plan for my life. For many good reasons there was a period of years between being 16 years old and 29 years old that that plan did not come to life. Now I am 36 years old and the same plan God had for me at 16 years old is still here 20 years later. I cannot deny that plan. I intend to answer that call and enter as a novice to the Carmelites, God willing.

All prayers gratefully appreciated, God knows I need them:)
 
He writes straight with crooked lines, so I just try to follow the best I can.
 
Not sure, but I am a programmer for a State agency that helps people with disabilities, so I guess that would be part of it.
 
No idea whatsoever. Sometimes this is optimistic, sometimes not really. If I’m supposed to be a priest, I’d rather know already since I’m 24 and there’s already one Master’s coming down my way within weeks or months. If I’m supposed to be married, well, I’m two years before what canon law custom considers old bachelor. Right now I’m like a candle that’s burning down. I’m 24 and I’m spent. Life hasn’t even started in so many regards, but it already feels over in some others, and I feel old. One of those funny online quizzes that was supposed to rate a person’s age basing on a variety of factors, got me 44 a year or two ago. Yup, right. At some point something is going to happen, probably, I guess. If not, well, I’ll just have my beeeeloved articles and paragraphs. Go lawyers. Actually, some time ago I asked God some questions, opened the Bible and the passage was about the man learned in the law. So… who knows. It does look like there’s something to it. I might as well have studied archaelogy, I even aced the entry exam. We shall see.
 
chevalier said:
If I’m supposed to be a priest, I’d rather know already since I’m 24 and there’s already one .
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There are many priests who got late calls. For instances, Fr. John Corapi - He was ordained at age 44; my godfather ordain around 35+. There are many out there. 🙂
 
water said:
There are many priests who got late calls. For instances, Fr. John Corapi - He was ordained at age 44; my godfather ordain around 35+. There are many out there. 🙂
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One of my Roman law profs was already a doctor of law and he knows chaplains who had earned real ranks first, hehe.
 
chevalier said:
If I’m supposed to be a priest, I’d rather know already since I’m 24
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We’ve had several priests ordained in our Diocese over the last few years who were well into their 60’s at the time of ordination (widowers, “second career” priests).

Blessed John XXIII National Seminary in Weston, MA specializes in late vocations (age 30–60).

24? You’re just a baby, relatively speaking.
 
water said:
My sister is about your age and recently she grows spiritually a lot and decide to not marry. I am praying for her vocation. I keep you in my prayer.

If I were a girl, this would be me: 😃 I meant it!

image from: sistersofcarmel.com/aboutus.php

http://img151.imageshack.us/img151/3661/veilingdaywq4.jpg
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Thanks for the prayers.🙂

I’ll keep your sister in the Living Prayer of my life.

Well God didn’t make you a girl though I can see why you would love to be that young woman in the picture. Who wouldn’t want to be?!! Anyway God made you a fella and there is plenty a fella can do for God. God did not put the Consecration into the hands of a woman, that service He gave to man as Father, to the woman he gave Motherhood, be that physical or spiritual and both are equal in giving God’s love and life to others, no less holy, but meant for specific service to each other. For the father of children his life consecrates the life in the woman and that love brings forth new life, this is such a beautiful reflection of the Incarnation of Jesus and of the Holy Trinity.

So many beautiful vocations in God and all equal though following a heirarchy as given by Christ Jesus and the hierarchy does not consist of mastery but it is a heirarchy of service.

In my Living Prayer of life Water 🙂
 
blessedstar said:
Thanks for the prayers.🙂

I’ll keep your sister in the Living Prayer of my life.

Well God didn’t make you a girl though I can see why you would love to be that young woman in the picture. Who wouldn’t want to be?!! Anyway God made you a fella and there is plenty a fella can do for God. God did not put the Consecration into the hands of a woman, that service He gave to man as Father, to the woman he gave Motherhood, be that physical or spiritual and both are equal in giving God’s love and life to others, no less holy, but meant for specific service to each other. For the father of children his life consecrates the life in the woman and that love brings forth new life, this is such a beautiful reflection of the Incarnation of Jesus and of the Holy Trinity.

So many beautiful vocations in God and all equal though following a heirarchy as given by Christ Jesus and the hierarchy does not consist of mastery but it is a heirarchy of service.

In my Living Prayer of life Water 🙂
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Thanks blessedstar. Yes, everyone has his/her vocation. We hope that we could follow our vocation faithfully.

Thanks for your praying.
 
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