Running Towards My Vocation

Submitted by Kyle Boudreau on February 15, 2011

During these cold winter months, I am continuing to use running as a spiritual practice to keep myself centered and to reflect upon the important things in my life. As I dodge (or run right through) the puddles of slush and hurdle the humungous snow banks, I think about how I can connect with God and where God is calling me. While I know I am not called to run a marathon anytime soon, I know that I can connect with God while running as I look out at the frozen Charles River or the snow covered trees of Corey Hill. The beauty of nature reminds me that God’s love is all around me. As a result, I naturally connect with God as I am running the streets of Boston, Cambridge and Brookline.

As a part of my spiritual practice, I take the time to have a conversation with God and search for the places God is calling me. While I know I am not going to be a professional runner, I do know some of the things that set my heart on fire: building relationships, empowering people in a local community to solve some of their own problems and hearing people’s stories. My work at St. Stephen’s is a natural fit for finding opportunities to put these passions into action. I am doing my 1:1’s with parents, community partners and members of the St. Stephen’s congregation to really learn about the South End and its needs. I know that I have a lot of room to grow as a community organizer and often find myself full of self-doubt. Yet, the one certainty I am sure of is that I learn best by doing. I believe that the idea of a church-school partnership between St. Stephen’s and the Blackstone can work, but I will not get anywhere if I just sit around planning out ideas. It is important that I try out my ideas for supporting the school because even if they fail, I will learn valuable lessons about organizing along the way.

At this point, I do believe God is calling me to serve others as a community organizer. I believe I have some great gifts such as public speaking, determination and a love of people that will serve me well. Certain things will be challenging and I will be tentative to take action. Similarly, there are many cold mornings where I would rather sleep in than go out running and face the cold, harsh wind, but I only get better at running by doing. I know that God I know that I am able to connect with God more clearly when I am running, just as I am able to connect with God more clearly when I am taking action and meeting with people as a community organizer. Both require the effort to get over the initial hump, but once I am out there, it isn’t so bad. I continue to ask God for support on both of these efforts and I am rewarded with the beauty of God when I take action. I plan on continuing to simply ‘dive in’ to both my running and my community organizing, knowing that God is supporting me while encouraging me to ‘just do it’.