Using The Word "called"

[franciscanheart]

When do you use the word "called" in your life? Do you feel CALLED to eat healthy? Do you feel CALLED to have pets? Children? A farm?

If I said, I feel called to have a garden or an orchard, would that be strange?

I am often annoyed at the overuse of certain words among Catholic people if for no other reason that it sounds cheap and fake and cheesy and sometimes unnecessary. But I also know I tend to be one of the ones on the outermost edges of the fold when it comes to things like this.

I was trying to think of a way to explain the draw I have to gardening and how I feel we should ALL be growing SOME of our own food but I couldn't come up with anything other than, "I believe we are all called to grow food."

And then this was born. Stupid, I know, but I'm still curious.

[Eowyn]

I use it a bit - mostly like when I'm talking about things like my conversion (from Lutheran to Catholic.)  That was a distinct "call." 

 

Chocolate seems to yell my name frequently, but I suspect that is a whole different thing.  :)

[franciscanheart]

Chocolate seems to yell my name frequently, but I suspect that is a whole different thing.  :)

:hehe: Hahaha! And all this time I thought it was yelling MY name. ;)

[Basilisa Marie]

I think we can feel "called" to certain, seemingly non-holy things, but it's a different call.  I could say that I felt called to play the clarinet when it came time to choose our instruments in band, and that's brought a lot of joy and friendships I wouldn't have necessarily had otherwise.  I think a "call" has to be something that resonates deep inside you, something important, that brings you inner peace.  I don't feel called to eat pizza, but I feel called to bake and cook for people. 

 

At the same time, maybe it's a good idea to not use the word "call" for these things, unless we're talking about how we experience God through them.  In my Catholic Imagination class we talked about how the Catholic world-view has an inherently sacramental quality to it.  We see the extraordinary in the ordinary, average things becoming conduits for God's grace.  Maybe feeling such a call has something to do with that. 

[CrossCuT]

Holy bananas the overuse of that phrase drive me a little crazy too :/

I had a few friends who used to use that phrase for some if the most meaningless mundane things.... It again, I feel similarly with you FH where I'm probably on the outer edge of this.

[Amppax]

The way you describe it, Frannie, I don't think you're necessarily misusing the word. I'm not sure if I would use te word called, but I think I understand what you're trying to say.

Also, I agree with you, as soon as I have the ability, I want to try growing some of my own food. I'm basically a hippy though.

Edited July 22, 2013 by Amppax

[Gabriela]

We had this conversation in the VS a while back. See here: http://www.phatmass.com/phorum/topic/126850-i-feel-called-to%E2%80%94no-you-dont/

[dUSt]

You sound like a hippie.

[MissyP89]

Ah, speaking Christianese. ;)

 

I do tend to use called/calling, but typically as it relates to vocation stuff. But in more casual settings I'll say I "feel a tug to..." or "have a gut feeling about..."

[arfink]

My 2 cents: it's ok to say "I want to do it." instead of "I feel called to do it."

 

Wanting to do something doesn't make it selfish. ;)

[Lil Red]

When do you use the word "called" in your life? Do you feel CALLED to eat healthy? Do you feel CALLED to have pets? Children? A farm?

If I said, I feel called to have a garden or an orchard, would that be strange?

I am often annoyed at the overuse of certain words among Catholic people if for no other reason that it sounds cheap and fake and cheesy and sometimes unnecessary. But I also know I tend to be one of the ones on the outermost edges of the fold when it comes to things like this.

I was trying to think of a way to explain the draw I have to gardening and how I feel we should ALL be growing SOME of our own food but I couldn't come up with anything other than, "I believe we are all called to grow food."

And then this was born. Stupid, I know, but I'm still curious.

 

i use that phrase very rarely, in terms of my vocation or my job. i don't think the phrase should be used as loosely as it is. 

[Era Might]

I'm too blessed to be stressed.

[HisChildForever]

I feel called to say I agree. :|

[franciscanheart]

My 2 cents: it's ok to say "I want to do it." instead of "I feel called to do it."
 
Wanting to do something doesn't make it selfish. ;)

I don't think planting a garden could ever be selfish. :huh: I don't even know how you made a leap to selfish. I can't think of anything anyone would say they feel called to do which would also be selfish.

Anyway, the point is that there are feelings sometime that are deeper than fleeting desires. Things we may feel were placed on our hearts by God or that we're being led in a certain direction by God or that God wants from all of us this, that or the other. And in those cases, would you say called? Or would you say you felt compelled?

I'm not talking desire. I'm talking that sense of THIS IS SOMETHING I HAVE TO DO not just something you WANT to do.
 

You sound like a hippie.

I've been accused of that before. :hippie:

[arfink]

OK, well let me clarify then. I probably was reading in a lot more than was there, my apologies.

 

If you said you felt called to plant a garden, would you also say you wanted to do it? Would there be something wrong with saying you wanted to do it even though it was a different, deeper kind of want than most people think of when they say they want something?