True Calling

Norman Gayo, in justified anger, smashed the cell phone on the wall, when told by the doctor that his wife had difficulty in delivering their second child. What was supposed to be a happy welcome to a new member in their small family turned into a tragedy that resulted in the death of Leah, a licensed teacher in the Philippines who worked as a baker in New Zealand. For Norman, the dream of a better life turned bitter with the loss of a caring wife, a responsible mother, a generous daughter and a dedicated handmaid of the Lord.

While Leah would have wanted to raise her children to adulthood such was not in God’s plan. But if Leah had one wish for her family, she had said it very clearly to Norman, “You must remain here in your new home in New Zealand.” Truth to tell, she had made great sacrifices in order to reach the shores of Aotearoa.

In the case of Abram in the Old Testament, it is written, “The LORD had said to Abram, ‘Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you. I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you’" (Genesis 12:1-3).

It must have been difficult for Abraham, but obedience to God was foremost in his mind, and so he went, and God duly rewarded him. “By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going” (Hebrews 11:8).

I came to know of Leah only when she died. It is the testimonies of others that reveal the true nature of a person. It takes faith to migrate to another country with uncertain prospect of employment.   Out of necessity, she settled to work as a baker; but it was off work that she shone brightly like a candle in the dark. According to Norman, his wife committed herself as a handmaid of the Lord attending prayer meetings and helping single women and wives with absentee husbands.  “Much as she took care of the family,” said Norman, “she always found time for these women.” Many of those women came to the wake attesting to her good deeds.

One writer said, “Abraham’s life also shows us the blessing of simple obedience. When asked to leave his family, Abraham left. When asked to sacrifice Isaac, Abraham “rose up early the next morning” to do so. From what we can discern from the biblical narrative, there was no hesitation in Abraham’s obedience. Abraham, like most of us, may have agonized over these decisions, but when it was time to act, he acted. When we discern a true call from God, or we read His instructions in His Word, we must act. Obedience is not optional when God commands something.”

I am certain Leah found her true calling; something most people fail to discover in their lives. She had done well in her assigned tasks, and God has sought her to leave her family for the eternal home. She can rest now, assured that God will take care of her family, through brethren and friends, through kind hearted individuals, through benevolent institutions and through the Advocate in the Holy Spirit.