A saintly man once made a solemn vow to God: that no matter the circumstances, whenever the Divine should call him home, he would go without hesitation.
Years passed and life unfolded. And then one day, the call came at a heartbreaking moment. The saint’s wife had died in childbirth, leaving him alone with a newborn child utterly dependent upon him. And yet, in that hour of grief and overwhelming responsibility, God called him to depart this world.
The saint’s heart was shaken with anguish, but he remembered his vow. He prayed deeply for mercy, asking that God show him the little baby would be cared for. Placing the child at a roadside, he concealed himself nearby. Soon a royal procession approached, and a noble princess took up the child, tenderly saying, “I will lovingly care for him as my very own.”
His heart reassured by this answer to his prayer, the saint answered the call—giving up his life and returning to his true home in God.
Each of us must answer the same call. Even if we have never made such an explicit vow, the soul must eventually return to God when His agent, Brother Death, calls us home. Whether we are young or old, in health or illness, in calm or chaos, the call will come—and we must be ready.
In the meantime, God calls to us in a thousand other ways. He calls to us through our responsibilities, the challenges in our life, the needs of others, and through our families, work, and inner life. Each day is filled with opportunities to answer His call.
There is another story of answering God’s call, found in the Old Testament. When the young prophet Samuel was still a boy, he slept in the temple near the altar. In the stillness of night, he heard a voice calling him: “Samuel!”
Thinking it was his teacher Eli, he ran to him and said, “Here I am; you called me.” But Eli said, “I did not call you; go back and lie down.”
This happened again, and again, until finally the teacher Eli understood: it was God calling the boy. So he instructed Samuel that the next time he heard the call, he should answer: “Speak, Lord, for Thy servant heareth.”
When the voice called again, Samuel responded willingly to God, and from that moment on his life was dedicated to serving God as a divine instrument.
Often the call of God comes not with visions or strong outer guidance, but with a quiet inner whisper in our conscience. If we listen, especially in the stillness at the end of meditation, God will speak to us in our heart and mind.
Paramhansa Yogananda reminded his disciples that as long as one is making an effort, God will never, ever let us down. He may test us and purify us through difficulties—but behind every test is divine love.
To answer God’s call is not difficult, but neither is it simple. It requires devotion, concentration, and courage. It requires perseverance to try, again and again, to answer the call. Then we will be ready whenever, and however God calls, to answer—and finally to return to our true home.
Yogananda’s words ring with divine power in his beautiful poem, “The Noble New,” inviting us to answer the call:
The Noble New
Sing songs that none have sung,
Think thoughts that in brain have never rung,
Walk in paths that none have trod,
Weep tears as none have shed for God,
Love all with love that none have felt,
And brave the battle of life with strength unchained,
Give peace to all to whom none other gave,
Claim him your own who is everywhere disclaimed.
