Personality, Calling, and a Rule of Life

Spiritual formation does not happen in the abstract. It unfolds in real life, with a particular personality, history, body, and set of experiences. I have learned that the question is not only, “Who am I?” but also, “Who is God inviting me to become through the life I have actually lived?”

For much of my adult life, I lived in roles that demanded action, responsiveness, and resilience. Some of those roles stretched me far beyond my natural preferences. In retrospect, I can see how that stretching formed me. It taught me that growth often happens when I am called beyond what feels comfortable, familiar, or easy.

At the same time, I have also come to value rhythms of quiet, contemplation, liturgy, and embodied prayer. These are not escapes from the world, but ways of learning how to inhabit it more faithfully. A rule of life, however simple, gives shape to that desire. It helps translate spiritual longing into ordinary practices that can be revisited, refined, and lived.

In the end, the goal is not merely to attend church, read good books, or think deeply about formation. The goal is to become a person whose life bears witness to the presence of God in the world. That means learning to act justly, love mercy, walk humbly, and trust that even the desert places of life can become places where resurrection begins to show.