Answering the Call

TODAY: Think of this sign on the doorway at St. Stephen’s in London: “O God make the door of this house wide enough to receive all who need human love and fellowship, narrow enough to keep out all envy and pride and strife. Make its threshold smooth enough to be no stumbling block to children, nor to straying feet, but rugged and strong enough to turn back the tempter’s power. God, make the door of this house the gateway to Thine eternal Kingdom.”

Have you been blessed by a call like Abraham? I have, and it isn’t always easy to respond in faith to the call of an almighty invisible omnipotent God. Sometimes God’s call comes as a dramatic life event, such as the death of a loved one or a life-threatening incident. However, I’ve observed that the call more often comes as a series of small episodes or even one small seemingly insignificant event.

In 1987, I was a young Navy physician about to be assigned as the junior medical officer on board the USS NIMITZ, an aircraft carrier, when my orders were unexpectedly changed and I became the only medical officer on a large supply ship, the USS CAMDEN. For a number of reasons, I was not happy about this change, and my attitude became progressively more negative as the weeks passed.

Finally the day arrived for me to travel halfway round the world to meet my ship, and my heart was black with ill feelings. En route I pulled out a book given to me weeks before at my graduation from internship. There, on the inside cover, was an inscription from one of the staff physicians, that said, “One sailor can change the CAMDEN.” God spoke to me through that inscription, and I came to the realization that I was being called to make a difference on that ship. The next two years were far from easy, but that tour was hands down the best tour I’ve had in the Navy.

You see, the Lord had said, “Chip, leave your country, your people and your household and go to the ship I will show you. I will give you courage and strength and I will bless you; I will give you a measure of wisdom and skill equal to the task, and you will be a blessing.”

— Chip Taylor, MD, MPH