‘What is your heart’s desire?’

‘What really excites you?’

I have been really privileged to ask that question for the last twenty years. I have walked the path with people from all sorts of backgrounds who are answering the question, ‘What does God want you to do next?’.

They sense that there is a new challenge to which they could put their life’s experience, their abilities, their personality and their spiritual gifts and, yes, their heart’s desire. It has been an incredible joy to see people grow in confidence and do such incredible work.

Today they run food banks, parents and toddlers’ groups, offer a listening ear, debt counsel and a thousand other terrific supports to their communities.

Last weekend in Carlisle Cathedral a group of men and women, after years of discernment and study, were recognised as worthy to represent the Church in Cumbria; they will be called Readers.

The service was a wonderful celebration but it came in the same week that the Archbishop of Canterbury announced his resignation and during a time when the Church of England continues to wrestle with tensions around human sexuality. Why did they, nonetheless, feel called to this ministry?

250 words is not enough to really answer that question.

What I do know is that like the ancient tree, hollow through the middle but alive at the edges, the people who have a desire to serve God with all their hearts, with all their minds with all their strength will continue to do good… we will just very rarely hear about it.

Written by Rev Beverley Lock, Diocese of Carlisle Vocations Team

To share an insight about how your faith impacts your view of things, please contact: faithviewpoint@gmail.com.