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When there is uncertainty, it is natural to desire for God to let us see more clearly, that we might not have the uneasiness and anxiety of facing the unknown. Yet God points to a different way through the image of the shepherd.
Catholic writer Scott Hahn tells of a faithful man who asked Mother Teresa to pray that he might have clarity in discerning his path. She responded that it was not clarity he needed, but rather trust. The shepherd, calling his sheep, does not give details of the plans for the day, or the terrain ahead, or foretell of the difficulties to be encountered. The sheep know his voice, and so they follow in the direction that the shepherd calls.
We are to trust. When we cannot see what lies ahead, when we are anxious in the face of the unknown, we are to trust the Good Shepherd who goes before us, who calls us by name. We are called by the Father, gifted with the Holy Spirit, and can know the direction we are to go even if we don’t have the full itinerary. Jesus, we trust in you.