Calling

Blog #1


The question was raised a few weeks ago in class about whether we as students consider nursing a “calling.” The phrase “calling” certainly carries a number of connotations. In my mind, it implies a significant supernatural experience or a specific moment in time in which a person feels confirmation regarding a certain vocation. I am hesitant to use the term “calling” in reference to my desire to enter nursing, in fact I do not think the emphasis should be on whether or not one has experienced a supernatural experience, but rather if one has enough diligence to carry out his or her desire to become a nurse. In my understanding of Christianity, the moments of true growth do not happen in isolated experiences, but rather in the daily commitment to live a life of perseverance towards a worthwhile end. My desire to enter nursing was cultivated over a number of years as I began to learn more about the functions of the church and the responsibility to believers. I connected what I believe about the Christian responsibility to be dutiful ambassadors; working to promote justice, health, and peace, with my idea of the nursing vocation and decided that the two were very compatible. I do not feel called to a certain region of the world, I simply feel called to whatever community could benefit most from my skills and training. Certainly the question of utmost importance is not whether I have experienced a supernatural calling experience, but rather, how will I be able to complete the work that God desires me to do?