Serra Club Vocations Essay

Student wants to share her gifts to fulfill the calling God has given her

By Lyra Eskew (Special to The Criterion)

As a child, I was always surrounded by Jesus. I grew up in a Catholic school, and I will go to a Catholic high school this fall. Now, I am much more involved in my path of faith. But I was not always as close to God as I wanted to be. I had help along the way.

All my life, our church has had one pastor, Father Bob (Gilday). I knew his name before I knew my own, and he most definitely encouraged me and helped me on my path to faith. During his homilies, he would ask all the kids questions about the Gospel or the other readings that day.

I was always quite eager to answer the questions, and after Mass would even ask him questions of my own. He shared lots of wisdom with me, performed my baptism, first Communion and my first reconciliation. He helped me realize how much God really loves me and how he will always be on my side, cheering for me through every hardship.

I know my vocation is married life and motherhood. This brings lots of hope and joy into my life. When I imagine the idea of bringing life into this world and starting a family, it comforts me, knowing God will help me through all of it. The mere thought of being a mother has always had a special place in my heart, as I love to babysit and take care of children. Knowing that this is my vocation is comforting, because I know God has a plan for my life.

Though I am young and I have the rest of my life ahead of me, I am preparing to know where God is calling me to build up his kingdom by exploring the gifts he gave me. I joined my school’s choir almost four years ago and have loved it ever since. That’s because I am not only singing, but I am singing for the Lord.

Father Bob taught us that singing is a very important form of praying; and I take that lesson with me whenever I sing in the choir or when I go to Mass.

I feel another gift God has given me is a heart for serving others. I know that I will have the opportunity to serve God in my life and I am going to strive to fulfill that. I serve God in many ways, both as an altar server and in helping members of my community. I have volunteered at multiple food banks and charity events for those in need, and I believe that helping one person at a time will help to rebuild God’s Church.

As I keep growing in my faith, I plan to stop and listen for what God has in store for me. When I am older, I will continue applying the lessons I have learned from Father Bob and using my God-given talents of singing and serving others as I live out my vocation.
 

(Lyra and her parents, Brent Eskew and Iris Vogel-Eskew, are members of St. Therese of the Infant Jesus (Little Flower) Parish in Indianapolis. She recently completed the 8th grade at St. Therese of the Infant Jesus (Little Flower) School in Indianapolis and is the 8th-grade division winner in the Indianapolis Serra Club’s 2025 John D. Kelley Vocations Essay Contest.) †