Vocation Preparation

It is so crazy how fast the year has gone so far. With each day, I learn more and more about myself, my relationship with Jesus, and how to best love Him and help those in my life do the same. I also am realizing all the ways I am growing through my life as a missionary with FOCUS. It is so beautiful how God is using this experience to draw me closer to Himself and help me become, as Matthew Kelly says, the "best version of myself."

In a particular way, I'm realizing how this time is really helping me prepare for my vocation. Through much prayer, I have deep peace with trusting God that He desires for me to become a saint through the vocation of marriage someday. So how is saying yes to FOCUS, which includes a fast from dating for the first year, helping me in my vocation? Well, here is what I've discovered so far....

1. I'm learning how to be dependent on Jesus to provide me with happiness, not other people. This is still a work in progress, but it has improved a lot. Today was a perfect example: I was not in the best of moods, so I went to the Adoration chapel for a couple hours. I left with a deep peace - thanks Jesus! A great priest once pointed out that no person is perfect, my spouse someday will be human, and therefore will have some flaws. But, if I can lean on my relationship with Christ first, then His perfect love will fill what my husband's can't.

2. I'm learning how to give of my time in a very real way. Some days I go from one activity to the next, without a second to myself. Helping the wonderful students of UMD on their path to holiness, helping my teammates, and doing daily duties like cooking and cleaning. Yesterday, I went almost non-stop from 9am to 11pm! One day, I called my mom quick. She was busy, as usual, cooking for the volleyball team, planning something for my sister's birthday, and just being mom. I realized how learning to give of my time for this mission now will help me be able to do so for my mission as a mom someday. That's pretty awesome.

3. I'm learning all sorts of great ways to have fun doing things that aren't always fun. For example, how to improvise with cooking, brainstorm fun craft ideas (thanks Pinterest), provide snacks for my bible studies (future kids' birthday treats?), grocery shop efficiently, etc etc. Yesterday, I put on some music to speed along folding laundry and cleaning my room. The time flew by!


4. I'm learning a lot about what makes me, me! What brings me joy, sadness, peace, fear. The more I learn about myself, both my strengths and weaknesses, the more I can learn how to best become a saint. That is a good life lesson regardless and it comes from "putting out into the deep" and not being afraid to try new things (like not living in Fargo!)

my recent crafty project!

I'm sure God has much more to teach me this year. And I'm so excited to learn it! I hope that when that wonderful husband eventually comes into my life, I will be able to make a much longer list of ways that God prepared me and helped me be ready for that vocation He planned for me. Until then, I'm not just gonna sit around waiting, I'm going to do my best to actively prepare for that vocation.