I have been in a discernment process that began when I felt I was being nudged toward new challenges. I met with my mentor about this persistent feeling, and after she listened to me puzzle over what I should do, she gave me good advice and I would like to share it with you.
“Find time for you every day,” she said. “Start with five minutes a day, then gradually add to that time until you have an hour on a regular basis. During that quiet time, think about what gives you joy. Listen to the thoughts come to you. Don’t judge or decide, just receive them. Soon some will keep bubbling up and you will not be able to turn away from them. Ask God to help you be open to where you are being called. Eventually you will find where the things that give you joy will meet with what the world needs most from you now. That is where you will need to go.”
This message is adapted from “Voices” written by Nancy Goldberger in the June 2005 issue of Lutheran Woman Today (now Gather) magazine.