We all know that life is a series of forks in the road. We are always choosing between two different paths along the way.
Some may choose to go to college or not, or between this college or that one. We choose one career over another, or we choose to stay in our present city or move elsewhere. And we may choose to marry this person or remain single.
How we navigate such choices will gradually, yet powerfully, etch the story of our lives.
The Spiritual Life is No Different
The spiritual life is no different. Whether expressly or by implication, directly or indirectly, we make choices every day that dictate what kind of person, and Christian, we really are.
Words are also important, and we know that a thousand words are spoken by our actions. At the same time, it helps to articulate through words what our hopes and intentions are in order to clarify them for ourselves and others.
Scripture reminds us that actions and truth speak louder than words and speech (1 Jn 3:18). We must not only act toward Christ, but do so in love (1 Cor 13:1). Likewise, that love should be directed toward serving others and not merely ourselves (Phil 2:3-4) and using our gifts and talents (1 Peter 4:10). We thus see that in each fork in our path, we should choose the side of love, truth, and selfless service to God and others over self.
Defining Our Goal or Ambition
Ultimately, this is all about figuring out what our ultimate goal or ambition is all about. Is our main purpose or mission to please ourselves, serve our own agenda, and look out for “number one”? And is that “number one” the person I see when I look in the mirror?
None of us is perfect, and we all need to constantly work in our spiritual lives. If we want God to guide our choices, we need to commit those choices to Him (Prov 16:3). There is nothing wrong with enjoying life and resting, as long as those things are dedicated to energizing us for our true calling to serve God and others (Eccl 8:15-17).
So we begin by constantly reminding ourselves why God has blessed us to be alive in this time. We follow that with discerning God’s gifts to us and committing to using those gifts to serve God and others. We follow that with crafting ways to apply those gifts for that mission. Likewise, we accept and embrace that resting and enjoyment of all God has given us is part of the plan to renew and energize our efforts toward our sacred goal.
Vacations as Part of Our Greater Purpose
This time of year many of us have either returned from, or are planning vacations. These experiences are precious opportunities to share joy and bonding with family and friends. Hopefully, they provide us with beautiful memories and profound insights into all that God has given each of us. Just as importantly, we should hope and pray that our vacations nourish us with renewed energy to continue in our sacred mission of serving God and others.
However, the vacations and temporary respites we experience are not forks in the road. Note the key word “temporary.” Vacations which are temporary are enriching and wonderful. It is when we imagine or fantasize of vacations as “permanent” that we start having spiritual problems.
Like everyone else, I sometimes fall into the trap of imagining what I would do if I won a lottery. Invariably, I end up imagining myself not having a care in the world! The financial windfall would mean being able to pull away from any toxic people or situations that we all must deal with to fulfill our responsibilities.
At some point, however, I am glad to say that I do think of how I could help my loved ones and others in general. And there is nothing wrong with such imagination as long as it is fleeting and very temporary. But if we allow ourselves to wish for a more permanent “vacation ” from this life, we risk straying from the path toward Christ.
Our Lord took time off to be with friends. Even then, however, he taught Martha and Mary a thing or two about priorities (Lk 10:38-42), Our Lord managed to keep serving God’s plan. As long as we keep vacations “temporary,” compliant, and subordinate to our greater mission, we will stay on the path toward Christ.
Vocation as Dedicated Service in Love and Reality
It is only a difference of one letter, but it is all the difference in the world. A vacation is usually seen as a temporary escape from the reality of our daily grind. A vocation, on the other hand, is a calling, a strong inclination toward something.
A person called to become a priest or nun, for example, may feel a strong desire to serve God in that way. A true vocation requires dedication, consistency, commitment, and resolve. Vocations easily frustrated or abandoned by hurdles and difficulties may often be swept aside as mere fancies and unrealistic aspirations. People seeking a career in the arts, for instance, who quit after the first rejection will never be seen as having a true vocation.
As a lifelong educator, I have accepted and embraced that part of my calling is to deal with and overcome difficulties with students. Had I quit the first time a student frustrated me, I would have quit two weeks after I started.
What better examples can we have than Our Lord and Our Blessed Mother! They each faced great difficulties and frustrations throughout their service and obedience to God’s Will, yet they overcame and transcended those hurdles. Their commitment and mission was deep and certainly not fanciful. Above all, it was never temporary, much less some sort of escape from reality. On the contrary, vocation is very much, and all about, reality over fantasy. In order to be pure and true, our vocations must be immersed in, and accepting of, reality.
The Ultimate Choice: “O” over “A”
Ultimately, our spiritual life and our service to the mission and purpose God has for each of us will be dictated by how often we serve our vocation over our vacation. Do we only serve ourselves, basking in the glow of our own agenda or, are we committed to serving God and others?
Do we embrace the hardship and consequences of service to God and others with loving joy and resolve in walking toward Christ? And do we embrace the dedication and commitment necessary to grow and perform our purpose. Or, do we often wallow and lose our way, too wrapped up in our own headlines?
There is nothing wrong with the occasional vacation, but we must be careful. We must never let the choice of “A” became a more defining choice over the “O” we are each called to make to and for God.
Conclusion
As we enjoy those temporary escapes from the reality of our lives, and this world, we must remember our true calling. That calling is to immerse ourselves in loving and serving God and others for the sake of God using the gifts God has given each of us. That is our purpose and mission. That is why we were each created at this place and for this time. This place and time calls for spiritual warriors eager and enthusiastic to make a difference in as many lives as possible.
It is no accident that we were created for this turbulent spiritual time. The recent Olympic blasphemy only reminds us how distorted and warped this world’s sense of right and wrong really is. We claim to follow Christ so, like Christ, we cannot serve God by being weekend warriors. We must live our vocation with resolve, on our sleeve, and in our hearts and souls for all to see. Clearly, that vocation is no pleasure cruise. We must each ask ourselves if we see our calling as a vocation we live out daily or a vacation we dabble in when it is convenient or easy.
At the end of the spiritual day, how often we live our vocation over our vacation will determine how far we will travel toward our sacred destiny to love and serve God and others using the gifts God has given each of us.
