A few minutes ago, as I polished off a double espresso from the on-campus starbucks, I lamented my role as professor, advisor, mentor, and student. I'm tired. fifteen minutes ago, when I went to the men's room and before I bought the espresso, I didn't recognize myself in the mirror; haggard face, etched lines furrowed into my brow, five o'clock shadow emphasizing sunken cheeks and dark circles hollowing my eyes.
I graded my last paper, for this evening at least, and picked up my Magnificat. Here is tonight's reading:
1 Corinthians 1: 26-29
Consider your own calling, brothers. Not many of you were wise by human standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. Rather, God chose the foolish of the world to shame the wise, and God chose the weak of the world to shame the strong, and God chose the lowly and despised of the world, those who count for nothing, to reduce to nothing those who are something, so that no human being might boast before God.
My calling is in education, for the present. I am not the smartest person, nor the wisest, not the richest and certainly not the most powerful, but by accepting this calling and the work it requires I have the chance to preach the Gospel by living life - and that's good enough for me, I think.
Surrendering to my calling and embracing all its rewards and challenges opens my heart to true humility and love and strengthens my relationship with God. Mary abandoned herself to her calling completely; let us pledge to do the same this Christmas season.
Tag: Courage, calling, surrender, Christ, Christian, Magnificat
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