Is it that God calls me...? A lot of people can think about this. There comes a particular moment when the idea that God wants a little more of us starts to turn around in our heads. First of all, when this question arises, it should be considered that the right question would not be whether or not we are called... Because, of course, He's calling us!

Before the beginning of our existence, God thought and loved us, and when we thought, loving and creating ourselves made us with a certain purpose. God does not create us useless or empty, but he gives them all a certain vocation. More than one (to life, to faith, to a certain profession, to a particular charism or spirituality, etc.) In addition to this, some receive the vocation to the religious life, some to the marriage, others to the priesthood, others to give their life in celibacy. This vocation is revealed to us step by step, perhaps so that we do not be frightened to see at a stroke that he expects great things from each one. No one is excluded, just expect us nothing more and nothing less than this: holiness.

For that, it first calls us to life, then gives us the Christian vocation, a wonderful faith that will guide us to ask deeper questions, such as the initial: what else does God ask of me?

At which age should we ask ourselves this question?

I had a friend who believed that just at adulthood when one has "matured" can live an intense Christian life. Almost saying that, before that, it is impossible to live it with all its implications. Many people think the same way, postponing the vocation to holiness at the time they will take God seriously. For these people, it is even more unthinkable the possibility that during youth God asks them for a radical surrender. More and more fear of following the vocation during the youth, perhaps fearing to make a mistake, change your mind, not be faithful to God's will, "not having enough experiences", etc.

Nothing more false: In the youth, one begins to glimpse and to build their future. He has the experience and maturity enough to raise the questions. After all, that is the only thing God asks of us at first: that we ask him questions: What do you expect from me, how can I be happy, what do you want me to do. He'll give us the answers.

One can be frightened and think: "But I am too young to make such a decision, so big, so ... final!", but we must not forget that God's time is perfect. He calls us when we're old enough to respond. And the old enough is not the same for all, being able to be in some cases 13, 15, 17, 20, 25, 30. In other words, if you feel your call, it is because you will be able to respond.

In the words of Pope Benedict XVI can be summed up in this: "Dear young people, do not be afraid of Christ! He takes nothing away, and gives it all". He does not let himself win in generosity, promises happiness, and is a good payer, who returns with a lot of everything we put in his hands.

What do I have to do to know what God is asking of me?

Go to prayer

Ask. If we "face" God, asking him what he wants from us, there is no doubt that he will show us. He doesn't play hide-and-seek, he lets himself find. If we seek him, with sincerity, humility, generosity, we will find him. When we find him, we will befriend Him, treat him, meet him, and know what he asks of us. And, if the dialogue is sincere, we'll know what he wants, and the conclusion will be, how do you want something else, how do you say no? This is not to say that it does not cost, that we do not "want" to do something else, we do not have to leave, change or at least postpone some plans... But the reward is great: one hundred percent in this life and the next.

When praying, you don't have to wait for spectacular signs. Hardly that happens. What will happen is the peace of knowing that the will of the Father is done, that it follows the path that had destined us from all eternity. Likewise, this inner peace is only a secondary consequence of the joyful, generous, and determined "yes" that we offer to God.

Frequent the sacraments

In the Eucharist and the Confession, we meet Jesus. The more we treat him, the easier it will be to know and love him. Loving him, it will be easier, lighter the way. And in this very intimate treatment, as is the Eucharist, we can ask you to teach us to want what he wants.

Find a spiritual director

Spiritual direction not only helps but is essential. It is important because it helps us to understand many things. Maybe we can confuse signals, maybe God is asking us for something else. The spiritual director can help us understand and answer the questions we have, in addition to praying for us and joining in the process of discernment.

Other tips that might be useful:

Do not be afraid of fear

Many, feeling fear, can believe: "Ah, that means this is not for me". On the contrary! to be afraid is completely natural, it is the logical answer to see that God asks for something great. It's like the bride about to get married, she may be afraid, but she won't be swayed by fear.  It decides because it loves and is known loved, and even if it is not sure what will happen to the future, it has its trust in the other and God. It gives, like many, a leap into the void, but very sure that the love of God is its support, and that He does not ask for anything without first giving the necessary graces to carry it out. We must have this very clear, emphasized, and underlined: God, by giving a specific vocation, the delivery with the many graces to be able to live and be faithful to it. It is for this reason that, at the time of saying "yes", peace, joy, and fullness ensue. Besides ... how many times did Jesus repeat in his Gospels: "Do not fear!" He repeats it to us again, and, if we listen to him and let him enter our lives, we discover that it is true that his yoke is soft and the burden light.

Do not put only the heart, also the head

The feeling is good, we have -as Jesus had- a human heart. But just as the heart can be burdened with good and necessary affection, it can also be disordered negatively if we do not have them well on track. So Love -and especially Love with capital- is not based on momentary feelings that come and go. We can at first feel some forces, impulses, and immense energies compared to the initial infatuation... But, if they disappear -and disappear at times- we have to remember why we said yes to God. The reasons why he called us are the same, although sometimes it costs more. We have to trust what He says to us: "where is your treasure, there is your heart" (Matthew 6, 21). If we know what is most important to us, the affections will be ordained to that center where God is. That's balancing the heart with reason.

Enjoy the way and be faithful

Falling in love with God is the greatest of romances, seeking him, the greatest of adventures; find it, the greatest of realizations.- Saint Augustine
The discovery of one's vocation is a wonderful way, it's exciting, it's beautiful. And every story is unique, as unique is every love story. So with patience, with a sincere and generous heart, it is necessary to walk open to what He wants to show us. This is not only the time to respond affirmatively to a vocation but every day. Every day is a "yes" that reseals the initial "yes" and the most fantastic, is that every day we are rediscovering, understanding or learning new nuances of our vocation, which makes us delve more into it and love it, as you love a special gift made by a very dear person.

Finally, I leave a video that I thought was very good graphics what the call of God and how we respond, the doubts and concerns that come to mind...

P.d: After you see the videos and read this post, I say this: those who have decided to follow Christ, yes, we are crazy but crazy of Love.