Your Calling

“For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins. Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall.”(‭‭2 Peter 1:5-10 ESV)

Ok, I know it has not been a month yet but I am trying to get back on schedule. This one will be short. It was just reading my textbook for my History of the Christian Church and came across the root of the word Chaplain and found it interesting and thought I would share.

It started with Martin of Tours (I won’t give you the whole lesson). One day during his travels in what is now France, he came across mostly naked and shivering beggar asking for money. Martin, who had no money to give, cut his cape in half and give half to the beggar. I know, just a small token of love and giving what you can but it was so much bigger than that. Here is the story as told in the textbook, THE STORY OF CHRISTIANITY, VOLUME 1: The Early Church to the Reformation.

“This is also the origin of the word chapel—for centuries later, in a small church, there was a piece of cloth reputed to be a portion of Martin’s cape. From that piece of cape—capella—the little church came to be called a “chapel,” and those who served in it, “chaplains.”’

Now this may not be as interesting to you as it is to me, but being a Fire Chaplain, I found it quite interesting. I will have to say that my calling has been a long hard road. I ran from my calling for several years. I had all of the excuses: I’m not ready, am I really the right person, I cannot do that, I’m not smart enough, I don’t The the Bible good enough, & so on.

As I said I’m my last blog change is hard and to be honest downright scary but my advice is to face your calling head first. After all, Scripture tells us, ” I can do all things through him who strengthens me.”(Philippians‬ ‭4:13‬ ‭ESV‬‬)

Chaplain Howie