It was a regular Wednesday—sun shining, birds chirping—and there I was: 15 years old, grumbling as I stood over the lawnmower. Mom had asked me to mow the lawn, and like most teenagers, I dragged my feet.

The job seemed pointless and hot, and honestly, I’d rather be doing anything else. But I fired up the mower and began to push it around, albeit groaning with each pass. 

I finished the yard—eventually. Looking back I think God’s call can feel like that sometimes. We drag our feet. We resist what He’s asking us to do, especially when it seems unimportant or inconvenient.

John Paul II says that it isn’t so much about how grand the call is that matters, but instead, it’s about whether we answer it or not. He even goes so far as to tell us that Vatican II insists on “the absolute necessity of an apostolate” for lay people.

God really does call each one of us to go and share the Christian life—in ways both big and small. And this calling is not only the great gift that Jesus has in store for us but is also the responsibility He entrusts us with.

What’s the “lawn” God is asking us to mow today? Maybe it’s serving our parish in small ways or simply being more present to someone in need. Whatever it is, God isn’t forcing us—He’s inviting us deeper, out of love.