How do I Know God has a Calling for me? Part 1

What could a calling look like in your life?

I know God has opened a calling for me at least three times.

The first was to writing. The spring of 1986 I was attending a women’s retreat at Sierra Pines camp south of Lake Tahoe when the speaker said, “This afternoon I want you to go find a rock, sit on it, and wait until God speaks to you.”

While I found that a bit weird and almost presumptuous to put that much pressure on God . . . or ME . . . I did go find a rock and sit on it. Truly, I wasn’t sitting there long before I heard nonverbal words spoken into me: “I want you to write for me.” I had no idea what that meant. I knew about Christian books. I knew of some Christian magazines. I had a journalism degree and had worked on a daily newspaper, but I had no idea how to submit writing professionally in a freelance setting. Shortly thereafter, I saw a small ad in Decision magazine that advertised the Billy Graham School of Christian Writing. The writers conference would be held that summer outside of Minneapolis. I showed the ad to my husband, Craig, and he said, “I think you should go.” I attended that conference and learned how to write articles for magazines and how to submit then professionally. I also got a vision for what a freelance writing career would look like and began submitting articles all over the place. I had about a hundred articles published within a few years’ time. And then I started writing books–first children’s board books, then first chapter books and girls mysteries . . . and then various kinds of nonfiction books. So, here I am 34 years later, still writing for him–thousands of articles and blogs and devotions later, as well as 24 books as well. I’ll continue to write for God as long as I sense that calling is on my life. And I pray they make a difference to others and that all of what I do glorifies the God Who Called Me. Tomorrow: The second call Janet McHenry is a speaker and the author of 24 books, including the bestselling PrayerWalk and her newest, The Complete Guide to the Prayers of Jesus. She would love to be the speaker for your next event: https://www.janetmchenry.com. #LookingUp #PrayersofJesus #PrayerWalk https://janetmchenry.com