“WHAT is my purpose in life and what am I being called to do?”
This is arguably the most prominent question on the majority of teenagers’ and young adults’ minds, at least it is amongst my friendship circles.
This is no small question and it requires a lot of reflection and prayer.
For me, I’ve just finished Year 12 and am a third of the way through a gap year.
During my gap year I have found myself on a journey with God; a journey to understand the role that I am supposed to play in this crazy and beautiful thing called life, and in doing so answering the call to do His will.
At times this journey has almost been a fight between God and me.
I felt frustrated and unsure of what my next move in life was supposed to be, and God didn’t really seem to be giving me any indication as to what His plan was for me.
The truth in this situation was that I simply wasn’t listening.
My relationship with God had become one-sided – I was just talking to him the entire time, and never really pausing to hear his voice.
This past year I have learnt the importance of just being in His presence, not doing anything in particular just being solely His, and allowing Him to talk to me in the quiet of my heart.
Over time God has gently been reminding me of the gifts and talents He has given me, how I am using them if at all.
A while ago my cousin and I went on a little day retreat to Hinze Dam in the Gold Coast hinterland; we gave our whole morning to God, just to be with Him in the beauty of His creation and to rest in His peace.
Whilst I was reflecting, the parable about the talents kept coming to mind and the more I reflected on it the more I began to realise that I was turning into the third servant:
I was burying my talents instead of using them to bring glory to God.
God was reminding me that He gave me unique talents for a reason, for a purpose, and it is when we use those talents, invest and develop them, that we find a deep sense of purpose.
We have been created to do amazing things in His name, and we can’t do that if we ignore our gifts.
God places passion in our hearts for a reason – as St Catherine of Siena famously said, “Be who God meant you to be and you will set the world on fire”.
How amazing is that?
So embrace the person that you are, embrace your unique gifts and talents and use them.
Let your light shine, you never know who you will inspire.
So I will leave you with this challenge: reflect on your own gifts and talents, the things that make you so uniquely you.
Then ask yourself, “What am I doing with them?”
“Your talent is God’s gift to you. What you do with it is your gift back to God.” – Leo Buscaglia
By Anne-Marie Williams
Annie-Marie Williams is a young Catholic from the Gold Coast and a member of the Venire youth group. She is a monthly youth columnist for The Catholic Leader.
