Vocation

Talking about vocation in class today really made me think about my calling in life starting today rather than after I graduate and have a "real" job. I realized that fulfilling what God's calling for us has just as much to do with our attitude as it does with the work we are actually doing. I also realised that this is harder at some times than it is at others. For example, I feel like this interim is making it easy for me to serve God. It isn't difficult to be dilligent in my work when that work is in a subject that interests me. It is fun to participate in class when my fellow students care about the topic being discussed and respect eachothers opinions. I don't mind that the class is a long one when my professors are excited about what they are teaching and help us aply it to real life. The first semester of college was a different story.

I had been excited to leave high school behind and start college, but I soon found out that it didn't live up to my expectations. It wasn't the classes themselves that I didn't like. Rather, it was other things, things I had never anticipated that disapointed me and led to a negative attitude concering my calling as a college student. First of all, I am a commuter. I had never dreamed of how much this would make me feel like an outsider. Everyone from my classes talked about their floor activities, their midnight study parties, their roommates, suitemates, etc, etc. I felt like I didn't even belong. To make things worse, my schedule was awfull. I had huge breaks throughout my day and no where to go. I usually ended up in the liberary-alone- doing homework. I was also getting used to new standards, new expectations, new profs. I was completely overwhelmed.

My dad thought that my being at college was the greatest thing ever. Every day he would say, "Just take minute to look round you and think 'Hey, I'm in college.'" Every day I would tell him that I didn't even like college and I would gladly trade places with him. After the first month, things got better. I found people to hang out with durring my breaks. I got used to my profs and my classes. I found out that I even enjoyed being at college. At that point I was able to look back and see how my negative attitude had made that first month so much worse than it needed to be. If I had trusted God a little more and tried a little harder to please him, I would have made things lot better for myself. I was so caught up in my own misery that I hardly even noticed what a pathetic job I was doing of fulfilling my calling as a student.

Even in the difficult circumstances of our lives, we are called to glorify God. Colossonas 3:23 says "And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily as to the Lord..." We are not only called to serve when it is easy. However, I believe that when your calling is difficult, it will be easier to carry out if you do go in with the right attitude. When your purpose is to glorify God, it is him, and not your own suffering that will be at the forefront of your mind. I have definitly found this to be the case in my experiance, and I am glad of this reminder from Plantinga. It is not only what we do, but how we do it that fulfills our calling from God.