There’s a certain audacity in saying, “God has called me to write”-particularly in seasons in which it is not readily apparent that God has called a corresponding population to be readers of the words I’m writing! I’m not alone in thinking this: Author and editor, Andrew Le Peau wrote books and articles for 25 years before ever thinking much about any calling or vocation that might be driving his successful career. Stumbling into a writing and speaking ministry in midlife, my own experience has been to recognize my vocation in the rear view mirror, as it began to dawn on me that almost every job I’ve ever held has morphed eventually into a writing gig. By comparison, 21 st-century followers of God seem to have been left to our own devices. Elderly prophets showed up, oil was spilled, and momentous words were spoken over the head of the called one. In the Old Testament, a person’s calling was crystal clear. Even when Samuel, young and inexperienced, failed to recognize God’s voice by its tone and timbre, Eli was snoozing nearby to set him straight. He speaks from a bush on fire, gives audible instructions for travel, and issues a rebuke from between the squared off teeth of a donkey. As a true fan of certainty, I am filled with longing whenever I read Old Testament stories in which God shows up in unmistakable clarity.
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