

What Am I Doing?


Do you ever stop to think, “what am I doing?” It could be that you are on a path that you might not want to be on, working at a job you dislike, not resolving or working on challenging relationship issues. It could be anything that causes you to consider what you are doing. 

For example, the photo in this post was taken as I was climbing Wayna Picchu, something I questioned every step of, yet was so grateful that I accomplished, once I actually did so!

And so often, when we are invited to do something – for an afternoon or for a life change – we say… “Just one minute, I have to finish this.”

Not that finishing whatever your this or that is unimportant, but what if the invitation needs an immediacy of response that most of us can’t handle?

This Sunday’s Scriptures, for the 13th Sunday in Ordinary Time got me to thinking about this.

What is it to drop what you are doing and follow a call for your life? Now in my case, it was a call to my faith. The whole story is so unlikely for a girl like me… Just search the tag unlikely on this blog for evidence of that. In any case, following is not some easy thing, like following someone on Twitter is; in fact I think that kind of following lulls into a place that will not serve us, no matter what our call.

Elisha follows Elijah, because he is called to do so… and he does it! St. Paul, in the Galatians reading, reminds us to not be under the yoke of slavery. Now many of us do feel like we are under a yoke of slavery whether through our job or otherwise. We are also under a yoke of slavery in how we deal with one another as humans. St. Paul exhorts us to “serve one another through love,” and to remind us of the commandment to “love your neighbor as yourself.”

This part of Galatians really caught my eye:


One need only think of the endless complaining we do about one another and of course, the recent incident with General Stanley McChrystal!

Ultimately our Gospel from Luke really drives the point home. If we are to follow Jesus, then immediacy and full commitment is necessary. We are clearly told this when Jesus says:


Following means that we must give everything up; including a place to rest our head. Can we do this? I am never sure that I can even when I keep trying.  It is hard when we are also told in this Gospel that we can’t even go back and say good-bye or to bury our dead. Now means now and we are called to this.

It constantly causes me to ask the question, “what am I doing?” – both when I am following (rarely) and when I am simply trying to do so, which is most of the time.

This week, I am going to give this some thought, hopefully followed by action. What will you do?

Categories: General
Fran Rossi Szpylczyn

7 Responses

  1. "Now means now and we are called to this"–but it might be that what we're called to do is tend our families,our friends, and if need be to bury our dead with love and gratitude. God would be a hard (and unreasonable) master indeed if he asked us to sacrifice and desert human ties–which He had put in our hearts to cherish.

  2. Jan says:

    Thanks, Fran. The stairs are memorable, esp. since you climbed them. I love that picture.

  3. claire says:

    I too love the picture. We walked the Inca Trail long ago now but I did not climb Huayna Picchu. Bravo.I have kept your post with me since yesterday. I like your question 'What am I doing?' because so often I focus on 'How am I doing?'.A gospel like today's reminds me of the chasm between being a follower of a Christ and wishing to be one…Thank you for all that you give as food for, claire

  4. Challenging me to think as ever. Thanks Fran.

  5. crystal says:

    Wayna Picchu – how wonderful! Going there is on my wish list. It looks so beautiful.That's a good question you raise and I think it's one that's aked in the Spiritual Exercises too – what kind of person is Jesus to you that he can inspire you to drop everything and follow him.

  6. god googler says:

    Indeed great words here. My friend Jenene, often says "Why am I doing this again?" to make sure she is grounded in her mission and not merely wasting her efforts. Might be a good question for us all to ponder.

  7. I remember this photo from a past post, and I loved it then too.What am I doing? I seem to be asking myself that a lot lately. Thanks for the reminder of the value of such questioning.