Vocations Talk by Adam Burns
2013 is in the past and we embark upon a new 12-month adventure into 2014.
The initial step is to form our resolutions for the year ahead, which often includes new diets, a gym membership, piano lessons, Spanish-Italian-German lessons or numerous travel magazines.
In my experience, the enthusiasm of January dulls by the end of February and the next 10 months are spent thinking “Gee, I really should pick that up again”.
This year I have several resolutions in mind.
I won’t commit them to print, otherwise you’ll hold me to them, but the general gist can be summed up in one word – significance.
My resolutions revolve around recognising the significance of each moment and making God more significant in each moment.
Looking back on 2013, I can identify numerous moments and interactions that were transformative.
Often we overlook the power of a word or a gesture, or the deafening impact of a still, quiet moment.
As my life fills up with commitments to work, study and relationships, I’m finding it more difficult to plan adventures into my life.
The challenge is to identify those life-changing moments as they come.
It could be just stopping for a minute or two as you rush into work, just to recognise the beauty of the early morning or it could be making the extra effort to hear the wisdom in what someone is sharing.
Those moments were transformative because there was an experience of God in the mundane, normal, everyday moments.
God’s grandeur is present in all creation, hence each moment has the potential to be faith-growing.
No matter which profession we find ourselves in, the challenge of being a Christian is to seek God and to share God.
Through a simple word or gesture a person may have an experience of God’s love – a shared cup of coffee for someone going through a rough time can be just as impactful as the most profound and learned preacher.
Every moment holds the potential to experience God in new and wonderful ways.
Of course, this mentality needs to be balanced.
There’s only so much significance to be found in eating your corn flakes in the morning.
Taking life too seriously can be a blockage to experiencing life itself.
It’s only in living life that we can reflect upon God’s presence in it.
This is especially relevant when discerning a vocation – it’s easy to miss God’s signs and promptings if you focus too intently on pondering God’s call.
Whatever your resolutions are for the year ahead, I pray 2014 is a blessed and prosperous year for you and your family.
May it be filled with significant moments and experiences of grace.
“The object of a New Year is not that we should have a New Year, but rather that we may have a new soul.” – G.K. Chesterton
Adam Burns is the vocations promotions officer for Brisbane Archdiocese.
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