Called to a Higher Service
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Chapter 1

Where It All Started

“We will never know where our destiny if we do not remember our life as a child, a life filled with dreams.

 

At some point we all get a glimpse of what our future should be. If we recognized these glimpses for what they were, we would keep a constant lookout for them. Rest assured the signs are there. But if you’re too busy, you’ll miss them. You may also turn a blind eye if the signs don’t seem to fit into your plan. I know from experience how dangerous this can be.

Years ago, my husband and I got this idea in our heads to immigrate to another country. While the idea of starting over in a new country held a certain appeal, it also filled us with trepidation. Other friends had done it though, so why couldn’t we? We discussed it at length, but the solutions did not ease the anxiety in our hearts. We wanted to be totally sure we were making the right decision, and we understood that meant whatever decision we made should give us peace.

At the time, we were Christians in theory but not in practice. However, we decided to seek God’s approval, so we did what seemed like the best way to get a direct answer: we opened the Bible and hoped the solution would present itself without much digging.

Lo and behold, we did get a direct answer, something neither of us will forget. It came in the form of Jeremiah 42:10–20, which spoke to staying put and waiting for God to build us up, because if we should go, disaster would come upon us. Could we have asked for a clearer, more direct answer?

Despite this response, the move held greater appeal, and we decided to go. We consoled ourselves by denying that this answer was for us. Unfortunately, most of us do this, ignore or refuse to heed God’s voice, because oftentimes he tells us what we do not want to hear despite the comfort that receiving an answer to our question brings.

As a result of our stubbornness, we spent ten years apart trying to find our way back to each other, which we did eventually—thank God. I share this story because I want to highlight the importance of seeking God’s voice and being obedient even when we don’t like the answer. We have to trust that he is doing the best for us. Why be like the child who seeks confirmation from his parents but is still intent on doing his own thing? Signs are there to guide us and lead us into the life that God has pre-destined for us.

You must learn to be present in the moment, be aware, and be prepared to see new signs that will allow you to start answering your call to a higher service. Start right now while you’re reading this book. Be present. Pay attention. Put everything else out of your mind. It will open you up to a world of possibilities. Stillness, along with listening, observing, and practicing the steps in this book, will lead you into the higher calling on your life, the call to higher service. Before you can get there though, you need to begin by an understanding of where you’ve been. With that in mind, I want to start with the following exercise.

Take a minute to take stock of your life. Close your eyes, empty your mind, and reflect on your childhood. Think about when you first became aware of yourself and your surroundings. Now, move on to your teenage years. Be still and let the thoughts and feelings come to the forefront of your mind. Recall your feelings, your actions, and your reactions to your environment. Were you able to dream freely without the confusion that adulthood brings? Are you reminded of a time when you just wanted to be happy and to make others happy? Do you recollect a time when you were carefree and thought you were capable of being everything you dreamed you could be, when you didn’t over think things but thought everything you desired was achievable? Perhaps you were inspired by a TV show or seeing someone else’s life and thought, Hey, I can do that!

The question is, when did you stop dreaming? When did you begin to see yourself in a lesser light? When did you start believing you did not deserve a good life, free from worry and anxiety? Simply put, how did you arrive at this present moment? What happened in your past that killed your great visions for yourself?

I have a four-year-old daughter who tells me what she wants to be in life every chance she gets. A chef, an emergency room doctor, a dentist, dancer, choreographer, singer, fashion designer, doll maker, the list goes on. Of course, I know she can’t be all of these things, but I never cramp her style by telling her so. Instead, I say, “Yes, you can be anything you want to be.” I not only allow her to dream, I encourage it.

How many of us had parents who allowed us to dream freely and gave us the necessary encouragement when we did? Too many of us were like some unfortunate kids I know who are not allowed to dream. Their career choices are already predestined, because their parents insist they do what makes sense—which is whatever society dictates. They are pressured to put food on the table and take care of their needs, and that’s it. Such an approach to life kills the joy and creativity in any individual. It prevents people from realizing their dreams, because there’s no room for joy and creativity when your number one concern is putting money in your pocket. Dream-killers prevent us from reaching our higher calling. They stifle the creativity we need to become the people we were destined to become. How far from the truth could we be?

As I tell my children, the fact that our parents or someone else held us back does not give us license to play the blame game. When we blame others for our situation, it merely distracts us and makes us feel powerless, like we’re victims. In truth, whenever we play the blame game, we play it alone. It affects no one but us. It also keeps us stuck in negative thought patterns. Playing the blame game allows us to hide from the real issues, convincing us we lack the power to overcome the negative impact others had on our lives. The moment we come to terms with our parents’ inadequacy, society’s inadequacy, and our own failures, we have taken the first step to overcoming them. Forgiving and forgetting the past paves the way for us to become better people in the present. It allows us to answer the call to a higher service and make it manifest in our lives.

It is unfortunate that so many people are critics rather than encouragers. If you’re like most people, this has proven true for you at many stages in life. Somehow, we get socialized into this negative behavior, which causes us to believe we are less than we are. This is an unfortunate reality, but once again, you can change it. You can initiate a turnaround in your situation simply by changing the way you think about it. I have an acronym I use to describe this: ACT (Allow Courageous Thoughts). I will give you some more ideas on how to do this later in the book, but for now, my key point is that intentionally changing your thoughts impacts your mind on the subconscious level, which is where all the confusion that prevents you from answering the call to a higher service resides. Changing your thought patterns is another crucial step toward realizing your true potential and seeing life in a positive way; full of possibilities, just like you did when you were a child. You will see your glass as half-full and not half-empty. You will realize that the comfort zone you cling to so dearly actually brings you no comfort at all.

The negative socialization you received from babyhood into adulthood, all of the damaging experiences that have shaped your thinking and kept you in a place where you can’t take the first step toward a positive change without overthinking it, all of it can be reversed. As things begin to turn around, you will be free to move into your destiny, to answer the call to a higher service. You will embrace your purpose as a successful, happy child of God impacting lives and creating positive changes in the world. It all starts with capturing those negative thoughts, trading in the ashes of your past for the beauty of God’s future. God told us he would do this for us, and he is waiting to get started. So, what are you waiting for?

 

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