In this season of graduations and ordinations, the Women’s College World Series, French Open, Stanley Cup Finals and NBA Playoffs, I remember that once I wanted to be an Olympic swimmer. I belonged to an aquatic club, and trained with an Olympian. I swan thousands of miles. I competed at bunches of swim meets. Once, I earned a blue ribbon in a state competition.
I continued training and swimming, at great cost. My shiny brunette waves faded to green frizz. I battled recurrent sinus infections, ear aches and itchy, dry skin more than opponents in the pool. No matter how much I trained, I couldn’t keep pace. I realized that I’d never be as good as the Olympic hopefuls. And, as I watched a classmate win medal after medal, with tremendous strength and ease, I realized something greater: I wasn’t willing to train harder. Swimming for Olympic gold was her calling, not mine.
Each of us has a divine call, to be a champion, to do something which truly blesses our world. This call, whatever it may be, allows us to express the essence of who we are as divine creations of God, source of ever-abiding grace, infinite compassion and unconditional love.
And this grace, which some believe we must earn, is always free, always available, as soon as we decide to release the suffering, struggle and strife of trying to be someone we are not. When we spiritually, if not physically, lay down, as Jesus urged (Matthew 11:28), the burdens we thought we were “supposed” to carry, and align ourselves with God.
Our championship call, no matter who we are, where we’ve been, what we’ve done or who we love, is to express our divinity, to radiate it far and wide, as Jesus did, so God’s divine works can be declared through us, as us.
Our championship call is to remove the bushel basket hiding our light (Matthew 5:15) and to shake the dust of what no longer serves us off our feet (Matthew 10:14), so we can succeed in far greater ways than we first imagined. No competitions or contests required.
As we grow in spiritual maturity, we realize: We can’t be it all, do it all or have it all. We also realize: That isn’t our call. And as we align with God — and God’s will, which is always for our highest and best — our intuitive sense grows stronger and our still, small voice clearer. We discern what is ours to do and what is not. We discover rewards at each destination. We rejoice in the beauty and wonder of our journey and the blessings of those who travel with us, for however long. We cheer, with admiration, appreciation and love, for those who finish first, as well as those who finish last, because we behold the presence of God they are, always the mark of a true champion.
2017 – Rev. Jennifer L. Sacks. All rights reserved.
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