What’s My Mission, Lord?

Velany Rodrigues reflects on four questions to ask when you’re wondering what God is calling you to do and what your next faithful step could be.

At the peak of my career, I quit my job. I wanted to be a full-time mom to my one-year-old. I loved being home with my little son, watching him grow, teaching him his ABCs and prayers.

But I also had occasional bouts of missing the intense workplace conversations I was used to, the adrenaline rush of deadlines, or the thrill of a successful project.

Was I only ever going to be a mom? Would I never do anything else with my life?

Have you been in that place? Where you can’t see beyond the diapers or sibling fights or late-night conversations with your preteen? Wondering if your life has a purpose, a mission beyond the present responsibilities you carry?

I found myself there one rainy day.

I slipped into the empty church long before the scheduled evening Mass, and through tears, I asked the Lord some pretty existential questions: “What is my place in this world? What do You want me to do with my life? Do You have a plan for me?”

In the stillness of my heart, I heard a soft whisper:

Motherhood. That’s your vocation. That’s your calling.

And then after a pause:

For now.

Those last two words changed my myopic view.

I began to see both the present and the future with fresh eyes: the little, daily tasks in front of me, and all the possibilities that lay ahead.

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Four Big Questions to Ask God in Prayer

Over the next few days, weeks, and months, I began to ask bigger questions and to wait on the Lord with a happy heart.

I noted these questions down in my prayer journal. I’d like to share them with you, in the hope that they may be of help if you ever find yourself in a similar spot.

What is my calling right now, Lord?

Start where you are. What are you called to do in this present season?

Your current mission may center around home and family. While your responsibilities may feel small or repetitive, they matter. Mama Mary, Saint Monica, and Saint Zélie Martin changed the world by being the mothers they were called to be.

Or perhaps God is calling you to go beyond your home right now: to serve in your parish, your workplace, or even the world at large!

The question you must begin with is still the same: Lord, what are You asking of me right now?

And take your time to listen for the answer — whatever it may be.

What are the talents, interests, and desires You have placed on my heart?

This one goes hand in hand with the first question and needs prayerful consideration.

It took me two years to find the answer to this one.

My interests had changed since becoming a mother. So had my expertise, my worldview, and the things I cared about. I found myself exploring different paths before clarity showed up.

There was also the question of “What am I called to?” Ministry? Career? A little bit of both?

So dig deep. Find what excites you, what gives you joy, what keeps returning to your heart. Bring it all before the Lord.

Is this something for now, or later?

For now.

Those two words brought home this truth: “There is an appointed time for everything” (Ecclesiastes 3:1a).

Some things are for now. Some, for later.

Perhaps you want to start a professional venture. But perhaps now isn’t the time to launch but to prepare, practise, grow, and develop your gifts.

Or perhaps the time to start is now!

Don’t be afraid to take that step. If God has called you to it, He’ll take you through it. Give it your all!

Or maybe the time is both now and later.

You can begin small: helping friends organize their homes before you map out and launch your home organization business, or helping a catechism teacher at your parish before committing to a year of becoming a catechist yourself.

Now, later, or a little step forward?

Ask the Lord for the wisdom to choose well.

What is my next faithful step?

If the answer doesn’t jump out at you, that’s all right. Even if you cannot see the whole path, you can still take the next faithful step.

That may look like settling the next sibling quarrel, researching a course you’d like to study, writing the first page of your memoir, or even waiting in prayer.

For now.

Or perhaps, it is being fully present where God has placed you right now.

Whatever it is, take that next faithful step with joy and confidence, knowing that every simple moment is part of His perfect plan for you.

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When God’s Plan Looks Different

There is another question you must consider: What if your plan and His don’t match?

Think of Saint Thérèse of Lisieux.

Her heart was set on going to the missions. But her body didn’t allow it.

She lived her life within convent walls, doing mundane tasks, much like the ones we do. She never visited a single mission site.

And yet, God used her faithful, little way and her missionary heart in ways she could never have imagined, and she is now the universal patron saint of missions and missionaries.

So hold up your plans before Him with open palms. Let Him direct them. And don’t be afraid of dreaming big. Or stepping out. Or staying (and praying) right where you are, either!

God takes the dreams of our hearts and fulfils them in ways we cannot imagine. Trust Him with all your heart, Proverbs reminds us.

So while you may not have all the answers, you don’t need to. You simply need to be open to where He may lead you and willing to say yes to His mission for your life.

For now.

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What’s My Mission, Lord?