I Have Heard You Calling in the Night, Part 3

Heard You Calling, continued...

Have you ever been in that situation before? Have you ever felt that God was calling you to go to a new place, or to do something you have never done before? How did you react?

I’m not Joseph, and I’m not suggesting that I am, but I’ve felt that way before.  More than nine years ago, I was working in medical research with Marshall University at the VA Medical Center. I enjoyed my work, but I had this feeling that God was calling me to change. I look back now, and I can see how I was preparing to leave – I was inventorying all my samples, and creating indexes of them, so that other people would be able to find what they needed if I weren’t there. I was clearing out what needed to be thrown away, and making sure all the procedures were written down. I had no idea of where I would end up going, but I was preparing for it, all the same.

In the spring of 2008, a friend hinted that I should apply for the opening at the Foundation. I heard that, and thought, “There is no way I could do that. It’s not at all what I want to do. Bad idea.” And then I went to bed.

And I did not sleep.

And I thought about it all night long.

And I wrestled with God about it for hours.

And then I woke up – well, got up, because I did not sleep that night at all – and I told my husband, Steve, “I think I’m going to apply for the Associate Director position at the Foundation.”

I have a Master’s degree in biology. I am not trained for this job. Leaving what I was doing was a complete leap of faith. Even now, when people ask me why I did it – why I left a job I had had for 19 years to do something completely different, that I knew nothing about – I say, “Because God called me to do it.” When we sing that song, “Here I am, Lord” and we get to the line, “I have heard you calling in the night,” it almost always makes me cry. I did hear God calling in the night, and here I am today.

It was the best professional move I ever made. I love what I do. Everyday. I am able to use the gifts God has given me to do the work that God needs me to do, and I am in a sacred place. I am only here because I said yes. Even though I was afraid. Even though I didn’t know what I was doing. Even though I wasn’t completely sure. When God calls, listen. Say yes, and see where God takes you.