And then there were people who, from beginning to end, have been both personal and anonymous allies and true friends in that journey.  They have illuminated our calling.  They oriented us to who we are, where we belong in God’s great story and what our journey is about.  One man, Gary Barkalow, is only just learning how he impacted us.  Gary impacted us by fully living his own calling.

In our work with the hearts of so many teens and adults, we have so often heard the question “what is my purpose?”.  Or “why am I here?”.  Gary, in his newly launched book “It’s Your Call” has dove deeply into leading you and I to become intimate with who God created us to be and the role God’s given us in the Greater Story of the Gospel.

I’m so grateful for Gary’s three main pillars that have been incredibly meaningful as we have pursued our call.

Story

There is always more going on than meets the eye.  Most of us live under the impression that this world is fairly benign and we are limited in our impact and role.  When in actuality there is an incredible legend being lived out and part of that legend is each of us becoming who we were created to be.  We are in a process of overcoming and becoming.  Overcoming brokenness, insignificance, dismissal and becoming glorious, extraordinary and desperately needed.

Desire

It seems like such a simple answer.  Actually pinpointing our calling is only a matter of uncovering our truest desires.  As Gary puts it, “What you were created to do is revealed in the form of your desires”.  Not your desire for a tub of rocky road ice cream on Friday night.  The deep desire, those things that were true and real to you when you were little.  Those things that you get lost in for hours, where people watch you and say “She was in her glory!”.  THAT desire.  God reveals our calling through our desire.  You were created to DO what you truly LOVE.

Journey

“If we fail to remember there is a process, a progression, a journey that every person must take, we will misinterpret and misunderstand life.  We are on a pilgrimage – a long journey to a sacred place for a sacred purpose.”  Right from the book.  We are meant to grow.  God is after our progressive transformation.  We are no longer who we were and we are not yet who we will become, but we are well on our way.

When we keep these three pillars as our means of measurement, our determiners of whether we are living our call, we come to realize that God is not sitting there waiting for us to “get it right”.  There are no “divine expectations”.  Only that we stay facing Him.

I have read no better book on calling.  Most are a weak attempt at giving you “10 steps” or “tips and techniques”, heaping on the to-do list all the things that you need to get right.  Gary breaks it all open and shares clearly that this is a story and you were created for an incredible, world-changing role.

Buy a copy of Gary’s book at http://www.thenobleheart.com/store.

For the full post, click here:

http://thenobleheart.com/2010/10/go-with-what-you-know/

Over the years I have met many gifted, aware, devoted people who felt lost, stuck or paralyzed in the pursuit of their calling. Then, of course, I have my own paralysis. Every story and conversation about this issue has caused me to ask “why”.

We have all acted out of what we have believed (be it falsehood or truth) or what we have owned about ourselves at a deep heart level. So, I have scribbled down a few ideas that I will think will help to counter the debilitating ideas that float around concerning the issue of calling.

Go with what you know. You are only responsible for what you currently know, keeping in mind that what you know is partial and incomplete. Walk in the clarity that God has given you – only then will He give you more.

Let go of what you don’t love. Coming to grips with what you don’t love is valuable – it’s not wasted time. We waste a lot of time and energy feeling guilty and condemned over the things that we are not passionate about.

Live like an artist. Develop and create your art simply because you love it, not for a paycheck, approval or promotion.

Keep income and calling separate in your thinking. Don’t complicate things by putting these two together. At some point, they may merge, but one must not be dependent on the other.

“Don’t let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do.”-John Wooden. Start creating and offering what God has put in you with whatever resources you have in terms available time, technology, contacts, and opportunities. Don’t wait for someone to endorse or “anoint” you, for “large” audiences, a paycheck, position, title or a degree.

God is simply asking us to live honestly and generously in the place we are already in. We must offer the brilliance, strength, beauty, abundance, and splendor God has given us. Walking in our calling does not often require a big transition or life change like quitting a job, starting something new, or living somewhere else.

The development of the weightiness of our life is of utmost importance. Growth always includes knowledge, experience/experimentation, being mentored / coached / modeled, time for assimilation and maturing (fermentation).

Don’t wait for things to be “ideal” – Don’t wait for a job or position offer, endorsements, a certain amount in savings or an inheritance, or a close community of friends and allies to begin walking out your call.

God is comfortable with your trying. God is not afraid and you are not in great danger…if your idea has passed the “moral” and “ethical” filter and you understand your role (husband / wife, father / mother, employee, etc.). Get the perspective of others. Just ask – people are always willing to lend their insight to you.

1 Samuel 10:6,7 The Spirit of the Lord will come upon you in power…and you will be changed into a different person. Once these signs are fulfilled, do whatever your hand finds to do, for God is with you.

There is a difference between waiting on God and procrastination, between moving in faith with an assurance of God’s love and striving.

Trying to understand the difference and living on the right side,

Gary

***********

Note from Doug – Gary Barkalow is releasing his new book “It’s Your Call“.  I’ve been privileged to preview this breakthrough book.  Look for it in my next post.  For now, you can order it from his site at http://www.thenobleheart.com/store.

“Be strong and bold; have no fear or dread of them, because it is the Lord your God who goes with you;

he will not fail you or forsake you.” – Deut. 31:6

Like Cypher in “The Matrix”.  He was wakened by Morpheus and was called into a titanic struggle for the hearts and minds of other people.  Their mission, as a crew, was to pull people out of the Matrix and invite them into a real existence, in a community that was truly alive.  But Cypher became jaded.  Watch the clip in the sidebar to the right.  Or click here to watch it on YouTube.

Surrounded by wine, steak and a fine cigar, Cypher makes a deal to go back to sleep.  “I don’t want to remember nothing.  NOTHING.  You hear me?”

Let the Matrix take over again.

But I can’t.  (Actually, I can.  You can too.)  We can choose sleep.  (In fact, we need to choose rest.  But they are two different things.)  We can choose mediocrity.  We can choose all those things that we think give us life but actually keep us asleep.

Grandfather spoke about those things that stir our hearts awake to the reality of an unseen and eternal life.  From his native language to English, he translated it as “Inner Vision” or “The Voice of God”.  He said the Voice of God gives us Vision for our lives, our true purpose.  And then he said:

“A person who is not living their Vision is living death.”

And I remember.  I begin to remember why I can’t fall asleep.  Because it would mean death.  It would mean ignoring Vision.  It would mean ceasing to live for others.  Death by selfishness.  Death by numbness.  Death by mediocrity.

I can’t do it.  I won’t do it.

One foot in front of the other.  Stay awake.  Stay alert for the needs of others and rise up to meet them.  Fight.  Live.  Pray.  Listen.  Laugh.  Love.  And wake up the next morning to do it again.

YELLOW PINK RED BROWN BLUE YELLOW

I love this. Here is your job: name the colors of the following words. Do NOT read the words…rather, say the color of the words. For example, for the word BLUE, you should say “RED”. Say the colors as fast as you can.

Messed up huh? Yeah. Me too. Check out this link. You can run a timer game and see how long it takes you to read the words and then a second time of how long it takes you to say the colors. My first times were 10 seconds (just reading) and 31 seconds (saying colors).

If I just relaxed and looked at the words like shapes instead of letters and I tuned out the “reading” part of my brain, I could really start to cruise. But as soon as I saw letters, that’s it, I fumbled. I stuttered. Like a real brain fart style stutter. I’d say the first sound of a word four times and it felt like I was doing my best “Rain Man” impression. I looked ridiculous! But then I took another deep breath, relaxed and just saw the colors and said them. Easy.

God is that simple. And that complex. Look at God today. And instead of saying “God”. Say His color. And let the color be His will for your life. Relax. Breathe. Yes.

Going where called.
Doing what is asked.

Doug

I forgive you.

I love you.

Thank you.

Eighteen months ago, I was fully engaged in life, living free, living alive.  In the course of living alive, I suffered a devasting double-ankle injury.  Only in the past few months have I become aware of how much damage was done.  However, last summer, in the deepest part of hurt and questioning, two dear friends prayed with me and woke me up to the life I had lost and how to get it back.  I am so deeply and forever grateful to these two men.  (Mike and Morgan, thank you, truly).  It was in the morning summer storms of the Colorado Rockies that I wrote this.  For the first time, I recognized the depths of the Book of Psalms in the Bible.  As I sat under the eaves of my cabin, at sunrise, my gratefulness, God’s power and my transformation showed up in these storms.

I share it with you, especially as you battle the wounds of living.  I pray there’s blessing in it for you.

Truly,

Doug

***************

My King and my Lord.  The morning thunder echoes with your might.

Swift and bright, the lightning cuts the sky and does justice to your majesty.

You have felled my enemies.

Those who would sabotage me, clung to my back and refused to lift their claws.

Yet you, you placed your warriors on my right and my left.  Their swords ring out with your truth and my enemies fall.

Those who would destroy me,  broke my legs and felled me in battle.  They feasted on my home and all seemed lost.

Yet you, you sent your swordsmen and archers to me on swift and bright wing.  On my right and on my left you placed them.  On their lips they bore the words of your healing.

On the fallen bodies of my enemy, you rain pellets of ice after days of battle.  In the early morning, storms of your glory pass over the fields.

You make known to the mountains that you are the King of Glory and my heart sings as your steward.

As I sat in prayer this morning in the woods, in the grey light of pre-dawn, I could hear the rustling of the snowshoe hare under the willows. The boughs of the black spruce tree hung just above my wool cap, each of them detailed with a fine frost. From one icy needle hung an invisible thread of a spiders web, left over from the warm days of late Autumn. On the very end was suspended a treasure to put the finest jeweler to shame. The strand of silk was collecting crystals of its own. A feather of frost, nary the size of snowflake, drifted and floated in the cool drafts of the East breeze. Before my eyes hung the fragility of Creation we so often hear of. With a warm breath, the passing of a sparrow or a sudden gust of wind, this suspended gem would be gone. It won’t be there when I return tomorrow. I will never see its uniqueness again. There will be other wonders, other marvels. But none the same. As it is with the rest of Creation; humans, animals, plants. We must evaluate each act as life-giving or life-taking.

Were my words in that conversation life-giving or did they destroy a piece of that person?

Is my lifestyle making this world a better place for my children’s grandchildren?

Does my family know I love them? What have I done this week to restore myself?

Have I gazed upon the face of my children with the same awe and wonder as this moment?

With the flick of a switch, the utterance of a word, the toss of a wrapper, this suspended gem could be gone.

It won’t be there when we return tomorrow. Let no moment pass with lack of attention to the detail that was poured into it at the time of Creation.

Going where called,
Doing what is asked,

Doug

Good morning! Oh my Lord. There is SO much in my little ol’ pea brain right now! Right now, I wanted to share with you that if your group, company, church or other organization is in need of some renewal, focus, vision or bonding, Judy and I are available for a very limited number of speaking and facilitation engagements in the next year!

We want to hear from you and see if there is a place we can serve you and your mission. From one hour consultations to three day retreats.

Please contact us and book early!

We can cover any number of topics. Have a look around the blog and you’ll get an idea of our vision and mission.

E-mail me at intothewilderness@gmail.com.

Looking forward!

Doug and Judy

Yes, I know. Six kids. Who’s got time to talk?!

Well, Judy and I do. And it’s the nights where we put sleep off just a little longer so we can share some of our deepest thoughts from the day.

And the other night was just such a night.

I couldn’t even tell you the context of the conversation or what it was all about. But I know we were talking about the grind of day to day life and the choices we get to make. Sometimes those choices, while completely ours, we make them nearly unconsciously. Or we make them in such a fit of frenzied activity that we give them little attention.

We choose how we react to the latest cup of spilled milk. We choose to spend our evening surfing Crackbook. We choose anger over patience. We choose hurried-ness over attentiveness. We spend a large portion of our day choosing by reaction rather than decision.

And it was in the midst of this conversation that Judy dropped this one simple statement.

“How we live our days is how we live our lives.”

And it hung there in the air. Like a delicate down feather. Perfectly quiet and yet full of presence.

And at the end of our lives, we have all lived them one day at a time.

I’m going to go give my kids a real kiss goodnight.

For you all,

Doug and Judy

(My wife is a wise women. She is a blessing to me, day in and day out.  I love you Judy.)