life's questions

Sometimes in life, you stop and think … what am I doing? How did I get here? Is this really what it’s all about.

From recent conversations with friends, I know this happens with new moms. And not so new moms. New couples. And not so new couples. New jobs. And not so new jobs. And yes … religious vocations.

I recently found out that a bloggy/real world seminarian friend of mine has discerned that his path in life is taking him in another direction. He’s in my prayers and thoughts and I hope this is a life giving choice for him.

I’ve known or known of others, men and women, who’ve made the tough decision to leave. And I’ve known others who made the decision to stay after some serious pondering. I can’t pretend that this doesn’t scare me on some level. Particularly when I’m starting down my own path to closure of my current life and transition to something new. There’s a lot of risk there.

And then I remember those conversations with new mom friends where they say things like "How can I do this?". Or other friends wondering about the strength of their 10 year old marriages. Or countless other scenarios.

There’s a common denominator … it’s called life. Life is a journey and while those in religious life seem to use the language more, it’s a lifelong journey of discerning where we are called to be. All we can do is be open and take it one step at a time. Or at least that’s what I’m telling myself.