Balancing

Be yourself, but pay attention to others (who have information that you don't).  That is the message that remains after praying with today's scripture and the devotion from Henri Nouwen (both dropped into my e-mail sometime around 4 am this morning.)

1Samuel 15:10-31 

The king does what he wants (perhaps what seemed like the best thing to do based upon what he saw) and he was rejected (til he listened to his advisor, the prophet Samuel).  He needed to be corrected by another in order to maintain a wise course for his reign as king. 

But then there is Nouwen talking (In "Bread for the Journey")

It is very important to realize that our vocation is hidden in where we are and who we are. We are unique human beings, each with a call to realize in life what nobody else can, and to realize it in the concrete context of the here and now.



We will never find our vocations by trying to figure out whether we are better or worse than others. We are good enough to do what we are called to do. Be yourself!

Ok, Henri, so it all goes back to the idea of paying attention to what is right in front of my nose, doing what I can do with all that I possess for the glory of God and the good of others. 

It seems to me that we need to be flexible enough to teeter and totter along,

 trusting our understanding of who we are and what we see right now, yet open to mid course correction from others.  As we bump up against either the approval or resistance of others, we need to listen to what they have to say.  We may think that in being ourselves we have accurately discerned (discovered) our call. 

But self-determined calls are rarely accurate. 

Are you wondering what you might do to fulfill your purpose today?  Be Yourself.  Are you bumping up against some resistance, or some "feedback" from others?  Listen -- is there wisdom there? 

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