Think about the moments when you feel most alive or the moments when you feel set free to be your true self. It could be while entertaining people in your home. Maybe you feel the most authentically you while you are caring for someone else. Perhaps you feel most alive when being part of experiences that are new to you.

Name those moments. Try a sentence such as follows:

• Activities I do (where I live, work, play, serve) that make me feel set free for joyful obedience to God are __________
• Acts of service or care (where I live, work, play, serve) that make me feel the most alive are __________.

Have you ever thought that maybe those things that seem natural might be part of God calling you? How might God incorporate your simple (or complex) gifts/talents/skills/abilities to bring living proof of God’s love to one person at a time?

Listen to the story of a friend or pastor as they share what it feels like to recognize God’s voice and calling.

Now that you are becoming a listener, there are multiple options to open your heart to God as you hear the Holy Spirit calling you to learn.

• Explore a Spiritual Gifts Inventory to help you recognize your gifts. Yes! You have spiritual gifts! Not only do you have them, but these tools will help explain them.
• Try creating a summary of the way you hear God calling you. Think of a billboard beside the road. If someone only had a couple of seconds to read how God is calling you, what would your billboard say? Best practices for your billboard summary? Use no more than six to seven words.
• Learn about your neighbors. What are the challenges in your neighborhood? Where do feel a tug at your spirit toward the needs of your neighbors. Listen and learn in humility.