A few weeks ago I received a Facebook message from one of my best friends, who goes to school at the University of Washington. In the message was a link to a sermon given at the church she attends in Seattle. She said that the sermon was really encouraging to her, and that she thought of me when she heard it. My initial reaction (after "Holy cow, I miss and love you to pieces, Joyce Kim") was that of intrigue. I read the sermon title -- "'What's Your Calling?' And Other Frustrating Questions" -- and immediately felt the desire to put my homework aside and watch it. However, in that moment I (mournfully) continued studying for my philosophy midterm with the intention to watch the sermon as soon as possible.

A few days later, I was finally able to sit down and watch, and Joyce was totally right: the sermon was crazy encouraging. And crazy relevant, too.

The sermon addressed some of the common narratives that surround the concepts of calling and vocation. Modern society is constantly telling us that we should know our calling by now, that calling is something that's out there and just has to be found, that calling is a straight path that leads to a single destination point and that calling must equal your dream job.

As a college student attending a university whose mission is grounded in the pursuit of vocation, I can confidently say that I have heard all of these narratives at some point. PLU is huge on vocation, on discovering how your talents intersect with the needs of the world, which is totally wonderful and important. But sometimes, this major emphasis on finding your vocation - and the particular way the idea of vocation is understood - can be a little discouraging. For a really long time, I've struggled with the idea of passion, of discovering some single thing that fuels and inspires me. Throughout middle and high school, and into college, I've been surrounded by people who seem to have already discovered their "true passion," whether it's some sport, or singing or dancing or acting or something else. I haven't found such a passion, and that fact has been a real source of stress and discouragement throughout my life. The idea that my calling is singular and leads to an isolated destination point, and other narratives about calling, have surrounded me constantly, and continue to do so in college.

But, this sermon really opened my eyes to the truth behind calling. Through the story of Paul in Acts 22:1-22, this sermon shed light on the realities of calling: calling is a lifelong journey, community is vital in conversation about calling, and perhaps most importantly, calling is not about "your calling" but about your faithfulness.

We find our calling not through our own zeal or drive, but through our faithfulness in God. Faithfulness is crucial in our pursuit of calling, for through faith God reveals his purpose for our lives. And it is in the times when our pursuit of society's definition of calling - which often brings a feeling of emptiness to the things we do - that faithfulness and obedience are our true calling.

As I continue through school, through life in general, I long to see my calling not as some singular, isolated endpoint, some single entity that I must strive to attain, but as a flexible journey. I pray that in my pursuit of a calling, of a vocation that joins my talents and skills with the needs of my communities, that I would recognize my faithfulness to God as my ultimate calling. I hope to understand that my definite and unwavering calling in life is to pursue a faithful and authentic relationship with God, in which I live out my purpose as a precious and cherished daughter of Christ.

So, thanks Joyce Kim for thinking of me. You're the best.