Posted by Mary Wimberley on 2007-04-10

God knows the place of greatest need for the gifts and abilities within each person, Woman's Missionary Union executive director Wanda Lee said at Samford University April 5.

"When we ask for His direction, He will answer," she said, noting that "our lives are really all about choices."

For the Christian, discovering how to make these choices and live out the many different roles and opportunities successfully begins with an understanding of what it is God is calling us to do and be, said Lee, speaking as this year's Marie NeSmith Fowler Lecturer presented by Samford's Christian Women's Leadership Center.

It's not only about the big, significant decisions, she said.

"More often it's the simple ones we make each day about how we choose to live that determines our character, our mindset, and ultimately our focus in life," she told her audience of CWLC supporters, students and others.

The annual lecture honoring Samford pharmacy alumna Marie NeSmith Fowler of Hartselle, Ala., was established in 2004 to support the CWLC's mission to provide learning opportunities for women to realize the fullest measure of their gifts in all areas of human endeavor.

Lee, author of the Live the Call: Embrace God's Design for Your Life (New Hope Publishers), told how the process of writing the book enhanced her growth as a Christian and as a leader.

Writing, she noted, "forces you to examine what you believe to be important and what you are willing to share with the world about yourself.

"Out of this time of reflection I discovered the words to articulate the why' behind so many of the life altering decisions I have made, which has been nothing short of hearing and following God's call."

Lee said she had experienced an unmistakable call of God four times: the call to faith, commitment to a career as a nurse, a call to missionary service, and most recently, as leader of one of the nation's oldest women's religious organizations.

"Regardless of where we end up most of us are seeking that which will make this journey in life something; something meaningful and driven by a strong purpose," said Lee, a graduate of Samford's Ida V. Moffett School of Nursing.

The luncheon included participation by CWLC director Dr. Carol Ann Vaughn and students who are enrolled in the CWLC's academic minor in Christianity, Women and Leadership Studies.

 
Samford is a leading Christian university offering undergraduate programs grounded in the liberal arts with an array of nationally recognized graduate and professional schools. Founded in 1841, Samford is the 87th-oldest institution of higher learning in the United States. Samford enrolls 5,791 students from 49 states, Puerto Rico and 16 countries in its 10 academic schools: arts, arts and sciences, business, divinity, education, health professions, law, nursing, pharmacy and public health. Samford fields 17 athletic teams that compete in the tradition-rich Southern Conference and ranks 6th nationally for its Graduation Success Rate among all NCAA Division I schools.