From “Discernment: Reading the Signs of Daily Life” by Henri Nouwen with Michael J. Christensen and Rebecca J. Laird
What is God calling me to do? Where is God calling me to go? Where do I belong? These persistent questions have circled back to the center of my prayers many times during my life.
From the beginning, two inner voices have been speaking to me: one saying, “Henri, be sure you make it on your own. Be sure you become an independent person. Be sure I can be proud of you,” and another voice saying, “Henri, whatever you are going to do, even if you don’t do anything very interesting in the eyes of the world, be sure you stay close to the heart of Jesus; be sure you stay close to the love of God.”
I’m sure we all hear these voices to some degree – one that says, “Make something of your life; find a good career,” and one that says, “Be sure you never lose touch with your vocation.” There’s a struggle, a tension there.