I was having a bad day. Physically, I didn’t feel well. I was crabby, cranky, irritable, snarky, and sarcastic (and not the cute funny kind of sarcasm—it was crabby). Too tired to do much else, I started thumbing through social media. That’s when I saw it: a friend excitedly sharing about the huge, life-changing door God had opened for her to walk in her calling. Honestly, she had reason to be psyched. After years of working and waiting, this was a dream come true. Her smile told the story—it was a big day. The first time I saw the post I didn’t give it much thought. But as the day wore on and I felt even worse and her post popped up for the fifteenth time, I’m ashamed to say I lost it. All I could think was “I know. You’re better than I am.” Thankfully, I kept my mood to myself. (Ok, I did vent my feelings to my brother, but I didn’t make them public.) Honestly, I’d love to say that I got alone with Jesus and had a great spiritual revelation to regain my Christian character. But I didn’t. Instead, I put my phone in a part of the house where I couldn’t hear it and had some dinner. Then I watched TV and got some rest. A few hours later when I was feeling a little better, I went back on social media. Would you believe this time FOUR friends were sharing HUGE doors that God had opened in their lives? Each opportunity was amazing—each friend was so filled with excitement. That’s when I made a choice. Regretting my previous attitude, I decided that I would comment on each post, congratulating and encouraging my friends on their achievements and their boldness in walking in God’s plan for their life. As I commented, I was reminded of a spiritual truth I read in Carolyn Tenant’s book “Catch the Wind of the Spirit”. She said that the kingdom of God can be compared to a choreographed dance where all of the dancers take turns moving in and out of the spotlight. The beauty of the dance is found in every dancer performing their part in coordination with the others. This visual made an impression on my mind reminding me that this is how the kingdom of God works. We are all meant to serve God, flowing in our unique calling according to God’s timing. As we all walk in the steps assigned to us, God coordinates all of our movements in a way that advances His kingdom and brings as many people as possible into a personal relationship with Jesus. Once again, I was reminded that we aren’t called to compete with one another or be jealous of another person’s role. Instead, we are called to play our part by walking in our unique calling and cheering on others as they walk in their unique calling. Because it isn’t about me and it isn’t about my friends. We are all called to reflect Jesus, to advance God’s kingdom, and to help people come to know Him. Some days this means walking through the big door and shining in the spotlight. Other times we are in a supporting role, and other days we are backstage in our sweats, with no makeup, and our hair in a ponytail cheering for the rest of the team. What we need to always keep in the forefront of our mind is that our goal is to see our team win—to spread the Gospel by any and every available avenue. The more people who are walking in their unique God-given calling, the more people are being reached and the more hearts are being changed. We need to remember, we’re all in this together. And life is better when you choose to be a cheerleader instead of a critic. So that’s the story of my bad day and how I overcame my bad attitude. I hope it encourages you—even on your bad days—-to choose to be a cheerleader. As you walk in your unique, God-given calling, choose to also celebrate as others walk in their God-given calling. As we work together, God’s will is accomplished.
--Adessa
To Read More About Discovering Your Unique Calling, Read Chapter 3 in "Whatever It Takes"
