This month’s blog series is “Uniquely Created.” Last month we spoke about Gathering the graces. God graces us with all we need to be the person God uniquely created us to be. If we internalize and believe and trust that we are in fact uniquely created, uniquely gifted, uniquely formed, and uniquely called…we can more easily move into the person God created us to be.
I stared out over the mountain vista one last time and breathed in the fresh smell of pine trees while the clang of the church bell echoed off in the distance. I knew it was time to go home, but I wasn’t ready to leave. We had come to this small mountain village ten days earlier with a mission to build bonds of friendship between our church community and the families of Cusmapa, Nicaragua.
I wasn’t ready to leave. I wanted to soak in every last ounce of early morning dew, the shrill of roosters crowing at sunrise, the smell of wood burning stoves, the aroma of fresh ground coffee (locally grown!), and hand tossed tortillas wrapped in a warm towel.
After a week of cold showers and sporadic electrical outages, I longed for the comforts of home. And yet, there was something comforting about the simplicity of daily life here – the rhythm of morning prayer and evening reflections, endless soccer games on a makeshift field, and gathering at the overlook point where God paints a new masterpiece with every sunset. It would be another five years before the internet arrived at this far outpost, so our evenings were marked by card games and passing around the guitar without worrying about whether the moment was Instagram worthy.
Our final morning, I stood on the front porch of the modest guest house staring back at the mountain top still not quite ready to leave, but sensing a renewed courage for the journey ahead. Riding on the back of a pickup truck down the winding dirt road, with its harrowing twists and hairpin turns, seemed far less precarious than when we had made the trip up the mountain ten days ago.
There is a little proverbial wisdom about discovering our calling in life, “When God gives you one piece of the puzzle, he keeps the lid to the box.” For many people, a service trip is like a bright spot on a little piece of the puzzle; for me, this mission experience was like finding a corner piece!
Being called and sent on mission would become a cornerstone of my vocation and forever change the landscape of my professional trajectory. Little did I know then, I would return to Nicaragua ten times over the next twelve years as a campus minister, leading university students on service immersion trips, and today I work for Catholic Relief Services, the church’s official international humanitarian aid agency.
It was not by accident that God lured me to Nicaragua that summer. God had carefully etched out dozens of service experiences throughout my young adult years, which all fit tightly together. Each new opportunity adding a piece to this vivid image that has become my life’s story. That first trip to Nicaragua was both an extension of the person God had created and a defining moment for who I would become.
God uniquely forms each one of us, and then God sends us to places near and far, with our unique gifts and talents in order to serve a world in need. Sometimes that call is the result of a transformational moment. Other times, it is the culmination of a thousand daily “yes-es” in response to God’s prompting.
- Yes to reading one more bedtime story
- Yes to sitting with a friend at the doctor’s office
- Yes to donating items to the food pantry
In continuing to say “yes” to God’s call, I have discovered an immense joy, even when the work itself has not always been easy. This call has enlarged my heart and added a whole new dimension to the puzzle of my life – a dimension that allows me a glimpse of what mission really means. I have traveled to far flung places, but I have also rediscovered the margins within my own city and neighborhood. This response of love has given me courage to do things I never imagined, and my vocation continues to unfold in ways that I would not have chosen if it weren’t for God’s invitation.
God is not finished with me, and there is humility in acknowledging all of the work that is still to be done. I am continually being formed and re-shaped by the people I meet along the way. I am inspired by the vision of our Nicaraguan partner organization whose local leaders are truly making a difference for their communities. These friendships have offered me a closer look into the complexity and harsh realities of extreme poverty, and they have expanded my understanding far beyond the sentimental memories of a short-term mission experience.
Much of the work I do today is advocating for public policy that seeks to change unjust systems and create policies that benefit the common good of our sisters and brothers around the world. I am humbled to be the voice of vulnerable communities as we build relationships with members of Congress and train advocates for global justice.
When we say “yes” – whatever our mission may be – we participate in God’s creative work to color and shape the lives of those around us.
As I look back to that mountain top experience almost two decades ago, there is a familiar aching sense that says, “I’m still not ready to leave”. My call to be on mission is far from over, as there are other parts of the puzzle that God will continue to reveal.
Going Deeper:
- Learn more about the Fabretto Children’s Foundation and their work in Nicaragua
- Check out this Service Immersion Facilitator’s Guide from Catholic Relief Services
- For resources on Ignatian Discernment, see additional posts from Becky Eldredge and Beth Knobbe
- If you enjoy praying with music, you might consider one of these songs about knowing our call:
- The Summons by John Bell
- Pescador de Hombres / Lord When You Came by Cesáreo Gabaráin
- The Servant Song by Richard Gillard
- Praying with Scripture:
- Luke 5:1-11 Call of the disciples
- Luke 10:1-17 Sending the 72
- Ephesians 4:1-16 Live a life worthy of the calling you have received
Photo of the mountain vista at Cusmapa, Nicaragua, by Beth Knobbe
Beth Knobbe
Beth Knobbe is an author, speaker, and ministry professional based in Chicago, Illinois. She earned a Master of Divinity Degree from Catholic Theological Union and serves as a Senior Trainer with Catholic Relief Services, engaging Catholics in living their faith in solidarity with the poor around the world. Beth is an avid traveler and is passionate about her vocation to the single life. Beth is the author of Party of One: Living Single with Faith, Purpose, and Passion (2011) and Finding My Voice: A Young Woman’s Perspective (2009). Her personal blog can be found at www.bethknobbe.com.
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