𝐈 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐘𝐨𝐮'𝐝 𝐛𝐞 𝐆𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐚𝐭 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐭: 𝐂𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐖𝐡𝐨 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐎𝐮𝐫 𝐒𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞

“𝙎𝙥𝙚𝙖𝙠 𝙇𝙤𝙧𝙙, 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙨𝙚𝙧𝙫𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙞𝙨 𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜.” 𝟭 𝗦𝗮𝗺𝘂𝗲𝗹 𝟯:𝟭𝟬

This past weekend, I was deeply humbled and grateful to be honored by St. Catharine–St. Margaret Parish in Spring Lake, NJ, for my contributions as Trustee, Pastoral Council President, Finance Council member, and for leading our Bereavement Ministry.

In reflecting on this chapter of my life, I realize that change rarely happens in a vacuum. More often, it begins with a comment or invitation from someone who may simply say “Hey Jack, I think you would be good at that.”

Here are some of the more memorable invitations I’ve received in recent years:

Darren Kimball, a former Wall Street colleague I worked with, called me in July 2014 and said “Hey Jack, did you ever think about becoming a Coach? I think you’d be good at that.” Within a year, I completed several coach certification programs and launched my own practice.
I had a similar experience when my neighbor called me in August 2015 and said “Hey Jack, did you ever think about utilizing your background in strategic planning at Catholic Charities? I think you’d be good at that.” Within weeks, I was chairing their Strategic Planning Committee, serving as a Trustee for 6 years.
In 2016, our former Pastor called me with a new invitation — “Hey Jack, have you ever thought about serving on the Parish Pastoral Council? I think you’d be good at that.” A few months later, I was leading the Council as we developed a new strategic plan for our parish.
In 2019, Sister Margaret approached me after one of her Bereavement sessions with another invitation — “Hey Jack, would you ever think about helping me lead this ministry? I think you’d be good at that”. A year later, I had completed several certification programs for a ministry that touches me deeply as I work with families grieving the loss of a loved one.

In each of those moments, I embraced a question my Spiritual Director, Fr. Hank Hilton, SJ, shared with me in 2013 as I was leaving a Dean’s job in higher education. “Jack, what do you think God might be calling you to do at this moment?”

That question guides me each day as I pray the words Fr. Hank taught me: “Lord, help me to know what You want, to want what You want, and to do what You want.”

He often speaks to us through the voices of others who notice something in us we may not yet see in ourselves. So, if someone ever says to you, “I think you’d be good at that,” take it seriously and offer it up in prayer.

If you see something beautiful or unique in someone else, say it and invite them into a new opportunity for them to fully discern.

So How About You?

Has anyone ever said to you, “I think you’d be good at that”? How did you respond to their invitation?
In looking over your network of friends, colleagues at work, or people you know in your parish and other communities that are important to you, who comes to mind that you could encourage and invite into something new?
What gifts do you believe God might be asking you to offer in this season of your life?

Wishing you God’s grace as you discern what’s next in whatever chapter of life you’re in, Dr. K