The Scope of Your Vocation

In 2013, Star Trek: Into Darkness made its debut in theaters. The sequel to 2009's Star Trek, it featured the talent of Chris Pine as James T. Kirk, Karl Urban as Doctor McCoy, and Zachary Quinto as Mr. Spock, along with many other talented actors and actresses. I mention this movie for one reason - during one scene Captain Kirk turns to his crewmate and says "I have no idea what I am supposed to do. I only know what I can do." The raw honesty and leadership displayed in this scene makes it one of my favorites in the history of cinema. The idea that we do not know "what we are supposed to do," or may not know our true calling from the Lord is ok. We may not be able to fully discern these things at a certain time. But if we pray, and we clear our minds, and we filter out the messy overload of information that we receive on a daily basis, we may be able to see what we can do. Dominating the news now are topics like the war in Ukraine, a pending invasion of Venezuela, the Epstein investigation, and the usual back and forth bickering between political parties. There is little that I can do about these issues. I cannot single-handedly force a peace deal in Ukraine. I cannot sway the U.S. government one way or the other on military action in Venezuela, though I am generally opposed to war in most forms. I certainly can't stop the bickering between political parties. As for the Epstein investigation, it's best to assume that those who stand in the way of transparency in this investigation are those who are complicit in some form, which is not exclusive to any one political party. And in praying on these subjects, and knowing these truths, I acknowledge what can and can't be done. I can't stop war. But I can coordinate a network of food deliveries throughout Appalachia. I can't force honesty on people, but I can do research projects to help provide the most accurate information on certain subjects. I cannot stop political bickering, but I can talk to local legislators, and offer up research and advocacy efforts to champion causes for those who need a voice. In the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 9, verses 37-38, Christ tells us the problem with our world. "Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest." This is where your vocation starts. So often we are distracted by the large and overwhelming pieces of information that news networks spew at us, we lose sight of all of the good work we can be doing right here, right now. It's really just a matter of filtering out the nonsense and narrowing your scope. Father Mike Schmitz tells us (and I am paraphrasing), that our vocation starts where the gifts that the holy spirit bestowed upon us meet the needs of the world. For my overly-analytical brain, a mission founded on research projects, implemented to help those in need, was the ticket. And it took quite a bit of prayer, and over five years of discernment to get here. But here we are, and we are making a difference. Don't ever sell yourself short. Even the smallest tasks done in the name of the Lord are rewarding. Albert Einstein, for all of his success, said "try not to become a man of success, but rather try to become a man of value." And give it time - you will get there.