Purpose Unfolding: A Leader’s Transformational Journey to Love

May I be open. May I be present. May I be curious. May I be a catalyst.

It was my first day at Reebok, March 2020. I stood at the threshold of something new, whispering this prayer, not fully knowing how profoundly it would shape my journey.

At the time, I was already deep in spiritual discernment, wrestling with existential questions like “What is my purpose?” and, “How am I being called?” I had begun this work nearly a decade earlier with my friend, Maja, not just as a companion on the journey but as a coach guiding me through the process. Sitting in deep introspection with the wisdom of others speaking into my life, I realized that my purpose is creating possibilities.

What I see now, with even greater clarity, is that this statement was not just about purpose—it was Eros, the creative power of Love, already at work within me. While I did not consciously begin to sense the call to Love until 2017, I now recognize that conversation as a pivotal moment in uncovering my true calling, a moment that planted the seeds of what would later blossom into Love 101 Ministries, Courageous Conversations, and The LOVING Leader—each an expression of Love’s generative power in leadership and transformation.

But I did not walk this road alone.

Calling is never a solo journey. It unfolds in relationship: with God, with self, and with those who witness and affirm us along the way. It unfolds in our context.

Calling is never a solo journey. It unfolds in relationship: with God, with self, and with those who witness and affirm us along the way. It unfolds in our context.

While purpose and calling are deeply connected, they are not the same. Purpose is the foundation—the essence of who we are and what we are created to bring into the world. Calling is how that purpose takes shape in different seasons, inviting us into new expressions of our gifts. Understanding this distinction can bring both clarity and relief, especially when we find ourselves in seasons of uncertainty.

These words, purpose and calling, can feel elusive. They can stir anxiety because they suggest a destination when, in truth, they are an unfolding journey. Many of us worry we are “behind” or that we have missed our moment. But as neuroscientist Dan Siegel reminds us, naming this fear helps to tame it.

Beloved, you are right on time. Breathe.

Hearing the Call: Samuel’s Story and Ours

In 1 Samuel 3, we find a young Samuel lying in the temple, not yet knowing the voice of God. His mother, Hannah, has dedicated him to the Lord’s service, and now he is under the care of Eli, the temple priest. One night, Samuel hears his name.

Three times, he runs to Eli, assuming it is the priest who calls him. But on the third time, Eli perceives what is happening, guiding Samuel to respond:

“Speak, LORD. Your servant is listening.”

Samuel’s call story reminds us that calling is both divine and communal. God calls, but it is through the wisdom of others that we learn how to listen and respond. Just as Samuel needed Eli, we too need community to help us attune to the voice of God in our lives.

But there’s something else in Samuel’s story: it takes time to recognize God’s call. Samuel hears but does not yet understand. His discernment unfolds in stages through repetition, guidance, and practice. This is true for us as well.

But there’s something else in Samuel’s story: it takes time to recognize God’s call.

Calling as an Unfolding Journey

Vocational formation, as theologian Susan Maros describes, is “the process of being equipped and sustained in a lifetime journey of faithful participation in God’s work in the world.”

Wherever this article meets you on your journey, you are right on time. Even now, your purpose is unfolding. Purpose is not a destination. It is an ongoing conversation.

I offer for your reflection four dimensions of calling, an invitation to discern how God is at work in your unfolding purpose:

• The Caller: God – The One who is already present and at work in our lives.
• The Called: You – The responder to the caller. Including your unique identity, gifts, and what makes you come alive.
• The Context: Where You Are Planted – Your particularities and intersectionalities, workplace, relationships, and daily experiences.
• The Community: Those Who Witness & Affirm – The people who partner with God to call you into being.

Each of these dimensions unfolds over time. Calling is not a single moment of clarity but an ongoing, dynamic relationship—a continuous unfolding of identity, purpose, and participation in God’s work.

The Caller

Maros affirms that “in the process of discerning and developing in our callings, God is already present and already at work in our lives.” The scriptures affirm that we are reverently and wonderfully knitted together by God. Before we were born, we were known by the Caller.

“The LORD called to Samuel” (1 Samuel 3:1, NRSV).

God, who is Love, is not distant or silent but an active participant in our purpose, forming, shaping, and co-creating with us. But how does God call? What are the textures and sounds of God’s voice?

God’s call is not always thunderous or dramatic. Sometimes, it arrives in the stillness, like Elijah’s whispering wind. Other times, it resounds through the voices of those who affirm our gifts, the restlessness that nudges us toward something new, or the deep sense of alignment when we are in flow. To consider God as Caller is to enter into intimacy—to recognize that calling is not only about what we do, but about who we are becoming in relationship with the Divine.

When we seek to identify our callings, we are, at a fundamental level, seeking to understand God’s transformational work in our lives—to recognize who we are created to be and discern the Spirit’s invitation to participation in God’s work in the world.

The first question, from the L in my LOVING Leader Framework, is: Are you listening deeply for the voice of the Caller? And if you are, the follow-up question is: Are you responding?

The Called: Becoming a Vessel for Love

It is on the fourth call that Samuel responds, saying, “Speak. Your servant is listening.” The LORD said to Samuel, “I am about to do something in Israel that will make the ears of all who hear it tingle!”

This interaction between the Caller and the Called reminds me of the practice of Call and Response of the Black church. The call is an invitation to the Called to participate, to respond, to be engaged in the creative work of the Caller.

But there are real obstacles to activating our response, our discernment, and our willingness to participate. Maros suggests, “Sometimes we recognize this activity and cooperate with it; other times we cannot recognize that it is God’s activity, or we recognize it but either don’t understand it or resist the transformation.”

Perhaps you have experienced this in your own life. Have you ever felt drawn toward something—a relationship, a career shift, a creative pursuit—only to dismiss it as impractical or too risky? Maybe you sensed a deep restlessness, but fear or self-doubt kept you from taking the next step. Or perhaps the call came through a challenge—an unexpected loss, a disruption—that you resisted, only to later realize it was shaping you for something greater.

Along this journey toward purpose, the Called have a responsibility to

• cultivate an inner life that is open to God,
• surrender, becoming a vessel of Love,
• discern and respond, and
• know ourselves well, so that when the Caller calls, we can recognize our own divine design.

This responsibility evokes the O, V, and I in the LOVING Leader Framework: Open, Vulnerable, and Inner work. As we wrestle with this awesome task and questions arise, Howard Thurman’s spiritual wisdom invite us into reflection: “Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive and go out and do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.”

Purpose begins with what God formed IN you! But what if we don’t yet know what makes us come alive?

This is why we begin with the practice of listening deeply. To God, to our own hearts, and to the experiences that stir something within us. Often, our purpose is revealed through longing, joy, or even pain.

Often, our purpose is revealed through longing, joy, or even pain.

I would take this a step further: What is the work that not only brings you to life but also brings life to others? For me, the work of Love, echoing Katie Canon, is what my soul must have, and through it, I create possibilities for myself, others, and transform my context. Pause and reflect to consider, “What’s mine?”

The Context of Calling: Where Are You Planted?

Your context gives meaning to your calling. Maros describes context as “the various social, cultural, organizational, and family groups that shape our lives.”

This includes:

• Social location – Your background, culture, history, and unique lens.
• Professional environment – Where your work intersects with your purpose.
• Daily interactions – The people and places where love can be embodied.

For me, as a Black woman who is a seasoned executive, practical theologian, and a contemplative, my placement in the marketplace has become an essential part of my calling. Becoming a LOVING leader inside the corporate world opened the possibility for real transformation from the inside out that positions both the business and the people in it to flourish.

Where are you planted? How might that offer clarity to your purpose?

I echo Maros’ prayer: ”You are able to perceive with greater clarity the presence of God in your circumstances.”

Community: The Mirror That Calls Us Forth

We are not meant to navigate calling alone. Ubuntu teaches us: “I am because we are.” Our lives and leadership are shaped through relationships, witnessing, and being witnessed.

As the wisdom of Bessie Pearl Horne reminds us, you cannot see the picture when you’re posing for it. We need mirrors—people who see us, reflect back who we are becoming, and call us into being. This is where we cultivate the N and G of The LOVING Leader Framework: Nurture and Gift.

I have experienced this firsthand. My journey toward love unfolded through the generosity of others’ witness. A friend’s curiosity about Love ignited something in me, leading me to become a student of Love. A former colleague called me into a new professional context, inviting me to consult at Reebok—a place where, for the first time, I could show up as my full, integrated self.

Everything I have come to name about my calling has been revealed through the mirroring effect between God and others.

Who are the people witnessing your purpose? To whom are you a mirror, reflecting their purpose back to them?

The Invitation: Purpose Is Still Unfolding

If you feel uncertain about your calling—if you wonder whether you are behind or have missed it—take heart.

You are right on time.

Calling is not a destination; it is an unfolding. It requires discernment, community, and an openness to Love’s work in and through you.

Today, I wholeheartedly embrace my call to Love. I have accepted God’s invitations to walk alongside leaders, serving as a partner in their formation through The LOVING Leader Praxis Community and companioning/coaching. I am stewarding what God has given me to do—and yet, there is still much unfolding.

What do you sense is unfolding for you?

A Practice for Your Journey:

• Get silent – Make space to listen for the Caller.
• Get to know yourself – Who are you? How did God design you?
• Pay attention to your context – Where are you planted? What is being revealed?
• Get in community – Who are your mirrors? Who are you a mirror for?

Receive these words from Ephesians 3:20-21 (TPT) as a blessing:

“Never doubt God’s mighty power to work in you and accomplish all this…”
You are exactly where God needs you to be. The world needs who God made you to be.

Looking for a trusted companion to mirror your purpose along the journey? Visit www.thelovingleader.org