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Tue 11/14
Story
The Calling
Based on a story by Janis Peters
Janis sat in her car, the night sky studded with stars. It was West Palm Beach, where she and her family had lived until a year ago. She was aware of someone sitting next to her; someone else sat behind her. Their presence was comforting. She felt at peace.
“This is why you’re here,” a voice from behind said. “This is why you were born.”
Suddenly, Janis awoke in her bed in Illinois. It was early morning, and her husband was sleeping beside her. What a strange dream, she thought. It wasn’t the first time she’d had a dream that was so vivid and meaningful. She had once dreamed of touching the hand of a woman who had no fingers and watching, awestruck, as they grew back. She felt this dream was connected to healing, too, but what could it mean?
Janis had a husband and four daughters; theirs was a busy, happy life. The only time she’d done anything resembling caregiving was helping a senior couple in her neighborhood in Florida. The husband had Alzheimer’s, and his wife, whose health was failing, needed someone to check in on her. Janis helped with her husband, straightened up a bit and kept her company.
Not long after her dream, a new friend was showing Janis how to plant a flower garden. As they worked, she and the friend talked about their families. The subject turned to her friend’s mother-in-law.
“She has Alzheimer’s, and we need a full-time caregiver for her,” her friend said. “I would do it, but my husband needs help on the farm and we just don’t have the time. I would love to find someone.”
Janis thought about the dream. The voice. It all made sense. The words flew from her mouth: “I can care for her.”
For a year, Janis fed her, took her on walks, had conversations with her. Even when the work was hard, she still found caregiving to be rewarding. When the time came to move her friend’s mother-in-law to an assisted living home, the facility reached out to Janis.
“You’ve obviously got a knack for this,” they said. “We’d like to refer you.”
Janis went on to work in the caregiving industry for 20 years. Caregiving helped fill a void she didn’t even know she’d have. She never sought out the work; it just seemed to find her, showing her that she was doing exactly what she was meant to do.
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–Romans 12:6-8
“Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.”
ESV
Reflect
What steps will you take to find your calling in life?
I will ask myself if there is a new course I should follow.
I will reflect on how the little things I do are a part of my larger purpose.
I will listen to God and recognize the calling He has for me.
May God’s love encourage and guide your steps today. We’ll see you again soon!
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