What it Takes to Answer God's Call Whether You Like it or Not by Teresa Shields-Parker
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By Teresa Shields Parker
Have you ever prayed and asked God one thing, and He seemed to answer with something that was totally off-topic? For most of my adult life, I felt this way when I prayed about my life's calling or direction. My prayer would always start out something like this: "God, I know You've called me to write, but it feels like there is something specific I should be writing. Would You show me, please God? Call, and I will do whatever You want me to do." Eventually, God would answer, but it seemed His answers to my plea for direction were totally incongruous with what I thought I was asking.

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Have you ever prayed and asked God one thing, and He seemed to answer with something that was totally off-topic? For most of my adult life, I felt this way when I prayed about my life's calling or direction.
Understanding God's Answer
My prayer would always start out something like this: "God, I know You've called me to write, but it feels like there is something specific I should be writing. Would You show me, please God? Call, and I will do whatever You want me to do."
Eventually, God would answer, but it seemed His answers to my plea for direction were totally incongruous with what I thought I was asking. His answers always seemed to come back to how to lose weight and get healthy. This was the one thing I didn't think I could do. Plus, I didn't consider this a life calling, like being a missionary, preacher, teacher or anything else that seemed godly.
What I didn't see all of those years, though, was how very persistent He was with this answer. Recently, I was cleaning out my office and found all my old prayer journals. It was a rainy afternoon, perfect for revisiting my life. Reading through them helped me see my life in a different way.
Specific Instructions
Back in 1977, God had given me specific instructions I had never followed. This came during a prayer time where I asked Him how I could move the mountain of weight that was amassing on my body? He told me exactly what to do. One of those things was to stop eating sugar.
I told Him that I knew I'd lose weight if I did that, but I couldn't do that. I said that because I didn't think I could give up sugar for the rest of my life. I also thought I shouldn't have to give it up because others could eat it, so I should be able to as well. For the next 30 years, I ignored His advice.
God did not forget, though. Any time I prayed about what I was supposed to be doing while here on earth, His answer would always come back to what He said back in 1977. Looking through my prayer journals I saw it clearly.
Teresa Shields Parker
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One of the biggest excuses we have is that we somehow feel God doesn't speak to us. This excuse shuts down our ability to hear from Him, trust Him and surrender to Him. All three things are integral when we are trying to change our habits, lose weight, get healthy and follow God's plan for our lives. When we don't think we have any clear direction from God, we are relying on our own intellect. We may know what to do, but our minds are overridden by our emotions.
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As children, if we think we don't matter to the people who matter the most to us, it can set up a stronghold in us of "I don't matter to God," which can make us not trust the Holy Spirit, who lives inside us. I felt that way about my mother. She had an emotional illness, and I never really knew where I stood with her. Because Mom wasn't feeling well, as the oldest I had a lot of responsibilities. I was needed and felt it. Dad regularly told me this, as did my grandparents. I heard it from every place except the one place which really mattered. I didn't it from my mother.
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God always wants the best for us and that is why He hates our excuses. Excuses are what keep us from following God and may even keep us from heaven. I am not saying this to scare you. I am saying it to make sure you are following what He wants you to do. 1 John 2:28 in the Message tells us, "And now, Children, stay with Christ. Live deeply in Christ. Then we'll be ready for Him when He appears, ready to receive Him with open arms, with no cause for red-faced guilt or lame excuses when He arrives."