When God calls you

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Would anyone here care to share an experience they have had of being called by God? I hope this isn’t too personal of a question. I remember once in high school we had a young sister for a teacher in one class and some girls got asking her in a genuinely curious and interested way about how she knew she was called to be a sister, and she started to cry and then basically told us the subject was off limits because it was too private and important to discuss. We all felt bad because we hadn’t meant any harm. I often wonder if that sister stayed in the order.
 
I’m afraid that if I had a vision of Our Lord in my car, I might be so startled I’d hit a tree.

It reminds me of the story of the Miraculous Crucifix of Limpias (not “Limits”, dern spellcheck) where a monk was up on a ladder dusting a large crucifix and it allegedly came to life and blinked at the monk, and he was so surprised he fell off the ladder.
 
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I felt called of God to move 1000 miles from my hometown and family to go to college, where I met the girl who would become my wife. I felt a tug in my spirit to go there, and believe it came from God, although my parents and siblings jokingly called me the “black sheep of the family” who moved away — because they all stayed in my hometown except me.

Some people say it was just a coincidence. However, whenever I’ve felt called by God to do something, i become miserable until I do it, kind of like Jonah going to Nineveh, except I didn’t get swallowed by a whale. 😀
 
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Earlier this year, I remember being at Dearborn Michigan for my cousin’s wedding. I was at the hotel and about to go to sleep, when all of a sudden, I heard the Lord say to me that He wants me to pray for unity in the christian community. After I prayed, He let me go to sleep. 🙂
 
not sure if this crosses a line into private revelation or not…so I’ll share and if admin wants they can delete it. 🙂

When I was 16 I became a christian in a small evangelical, Pentecostal church. I received baptism in the spirit in a dramatic way and experienced a dramatic change in my life. I remember the best way to describe it was feeling like I was hungry, but for knowledge. It’s really hard to explain.

About 2 weeks after I was baptized in the spirit (and a month before my actual baptism) I had a dream I was at the last supper. No one could see or hear me, and I feel like an angel was with me and just said “Pay attention.” then disappeared. I was a little confused because I was like “The last supper, when Jesus predicts his death and gives the bread and wine as a symbol. So what?” (my church didn’t take communion seriously at all)

Jesus did the whole elevating the bread and cup and saying “this is my body…” “This is my blood…” then it ended. The disciples started talking in small groups, and I wandered outside, very confused why this was such a big deal. Jesus came up to me and I remember simply falling at his feet - I couldn’t even look him in the eye. He offered me the bread and wine, and I shook my head. Not sure why. Then he insisted, he said “This IS my body, this IS my blood, given for you. You don’t know what this means, but someday you will.” I took the bread and drank from the cup and felt so overwhelmed I woke up.

I believe to this day it was Jesus calling me to the catholic church. I completely forgot about the dream until I was 21, and had my very first Eucharist at the Easter Vigil. It came rushing back into my head and I almost fell over. I went to my pastor when I was young about it and they told me to dismiss it quickly…he was an ex-catholic. Now I think I know why. 😉
 
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Wow. ☺️

For those that recieve possible private revelation may I ask you consider writing it down in a journal and dating it? (If that’s okay to do so).

You can keep a journal meant just for private revelation/hearing from God.
 
I’ve been doing this for years and showing it to my Spiritual Director. It’s great, but my spiritual director is moving away so I’m back to doing it on my own again.

ETA: I only really share ones that I have taken to a priest and have had them give me the thumbs up on. He said that one in particular was a good one to share. shrug
 
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As basic as it sounds, if I recall correctly I felt myself being nudged to pray the Rosary. I’ve never regretted it.
 
I don’t know if I have experienced it. But I have a related experience.

I normally don’t ask fot signs. But last year, I asked God for a sign for something very important, as to what He is calling me to do. So I asked, then did not think muxh about it. I figured I was not going to receive it anyway. After all, even with St Therese novenas I do not receive real roses, so maybe this is the same.

To my surprise, I saw the sign a few days later. I brought food for my nephew, so when I entered the room, a few seconds later it was on the screen on the tv show he was watching. The timing was so right.

I was still doubtful though. I thought it was probably just a coincidence. So I asked again. Also within a few days as I was working on the desk, I heard the sign on tv. Ok God, I get it. Both of these are things I rarely see or hear about.

I had doubts initially but the thing is, I never asked for the signs out loud, it was just mental prayer to God.
 
It’s been really neat to read these!

I have a pretty interesting story involving St. Therese and my conversion, but I don’t know if it’s a call from God, per se, or the type of story you’re looking for, Bear! It’s just sufficient to say that God is good and I’m real glad I’m here. 😉
 
That’s a dramatic story. Sometimes people experience dramatic events like a Road to Damascus moment. I think God can work that way certainly sometimes.

However, often God works slowly in my experience. So perhaps a calling can happen slowly and gradually. A prayer by Pierre Teilhard de Chardin SJ sums it up for me. This prayer has helped me.


Patient Trust

Above all, trust in the slow work of God.
We are quite naturally impatient in everything
to reach the end without delay.
We should like to skip the intermediate stages.
We are impatient of being on the way to something
unknown, something new.
And yet it is the law of all progress
that it is made by passing through
some stages of instability—
and that it may take a very long time.

And so I think it is with you;
your ideas mature gradually—let them grow,
let them shape themselves, without undue haste.
Don’t try to force them on,
as though you could be today what time
(that is to say, grace and circumstances
acting on your own good will)
will make of you tomorrow.

Only God could say what this new spirit
gradually forming within you will be.
Give Our Lord the benefit of believing
that his hand is leading you,
and accept the anxiety of feeling yourself
in suspense and incomplete.
 
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I had one such experience. I was in my early 20s and agonizing over whether to pursue a graduate degree at a university many states away, or remain at my teaching job, which had many attractions. I prayed and prayed and agonized and worried. I made lists of pros and cons. I felt torn but I just didn’t know what to do at all. After weeks if not months of this, one day I lay in the sun in the backyard and fell asleep from exhaustion, still with no answers to my dilemma. I woke up 10 minutes later with absolute clarity about what direction to go–no doubt whatsoever. I always considered that moment a clear call from God.
 
I mean getting a hand plunged into my chest and scar tissue afterwards I would have actual PTSD I think! It’s scary stuff and doesn’t sit well with me :confused:
 
I can only say that for me it was gradua with twists and turns. It took a lot of patience.
 
Yes I do but I don’t know why he would have scar tissue on his heart which could compromise his health. I have no doubt God is working in his life but I choose to step away from this particular private revelation.
 
Maybe so but I don’t feel comfortable about it same as I don’t about any number of private revelations. Same as some of the Marian apparitions. For me, there are parts of the Bible that make me feel uncomfortable but that’s totally different to the unpleasant feeling of those private revelations. Those that generate fear and a ‘ nope’ feeling within me I step away. That’s just me. Each to their own as the church teaches on them
 
Thanks CJ That’s a really good story.

I think moat of time God calls us in subtle and gentle ways that are not too dramatic.

Sometimes it can be just a simple attraction for doing something.

Our batman priest here has a great story on this topic. You can find it on a thread I created a few months back on having received great graces. 😀
 
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