MY VOCATION:

SPREADING GOD’S WORD,

LOVE, AND MIRACLES
By: Amanda Diable

NOVEMBER 4, 2022
SENIOR INTEGRATIVE SEMINAR
Seton Hill University
 My vocation is to spread God’s word, love, and miracles. This is my vocation because I
have personally witnessed the love and miracles of God and witnessed how God has affected my
family. I believe God can accomplish the impossible and that is because of my reconnection with
family and my father’s impossible story. There was a period of about 5 years that I did not have
any contact with my father’s side of the family because I left the family. I was in my late teens
and early twenties when I lived with my father and stepmother. They were controlling almost
every aspect of my life including, my major in college, how I looked, when I was able to go out
with friends, and even when I had to call off work to be at family gatherings. I got tired of it and
eventually moved out and cut off all contact. That was until 2019 when my grandfather passed
away on my father’s side. I did not even know my grandfather was as ill as he was and found out
the night before he passed, he was in the hospital. The next day, I got to work a little early and
saw a post by my father that my father had passed away. It took my father about 5 hours to
contact me to let me know. I was furious that I found out through Facebook and not from a
family member. I attended the viewing and once my grandmother saw me, she said, “God
brought me back my granddaughter”. It was this moment that I knew I had to reconnect with my
father’s side of the family. A few months later, I went to my father’s house for dinner. He had a
heart surgery when I was living with him that did not go well and was not successful in helping
his a-fibrillation, where his heart would skip beats and had an irregular beat. It was at this dinner
I found out he had a second heart surgery that went worse than the first one, him and my
stepmother both became Christians, and my father told me his testimony which is a pure miracle
performed by God. My father and stepmother went to see Billy Burke, an American Pentecostal
healing evangelist, where my father was healed. Billy Burke called my father and stepmom onto
the stage, asked my stepmom if the flannel sheets were on the bed yet (they were not because it
was mid-October), told her to put the flannel sheets on the bed as soon as they get home, and my
father would be healed. She went home and put the flannel sheets on the bed, my dad said that
when he woke up the next morning he felt and knew something was different but did not say
anything about it. A couple weeks later he had a follow-up appointment with the doctor. At the
doctor appointment, my father had scans and tests done (I believe an MRI and EKG). The doctor
was in disbelief because none of the scans shows any scarring or evidence of both previous
surgeries and my father’s heart was beating in perfect rhythm. We know that God gave my father
a new heart. It was a couple months later that I started attending church with them on Sundays
and my second time there I decided to get baptized and truly be a follower of God. I know deep
in my heart it was because of God that our family is back together, fixed the past between us, and
healed my father’s heart. I believe God called me to spread his word, love, and miracles. I think
that if I spread these three things regarding God it might end some of the evil in the world, even
if it’s just one person I get to change their thoughts or feelings, I would consider it an
accomplishment.
“In the biblical words ‘subdue the earth’ addressed to man from the very beginning are
understood in the context of the whole modern age, industrial and post-industrial, then they
undoubtedly include also a relationship with technology, with the world of machinery which is
the fruit of the work of the human intellect and a historical confirmation of man’s dominion over
nature. The recent stage of human history, especially that of certain societies, brings a correct
affirmation of technology as a basic coefficient of economic progress; but, at the same time, this
affirmation has been accompanied by and continues to be accompanies by the raising of essential
questions concerning human work in relationship to its subject, which is man” (Laborem
Exercens [14 September 1981]). Today, there is no doubt that a relationship occurs between man
and technology, even kids today have a smart phone. Almost every aspect of work now involves
technology. Accountants use computers and printers to make entries and cut electronic checks,
scientists use different machines for testing and analyzing different objects, policemen use
breathalyzers to test the blood alcohol of civilians and computers to create file reports, stores use
self-checkouts to allow customers to avoid long lines, technology is everywhere you look. Pope
John Paul II talks about the church and states, “She thinks of man and addresses herself to him
not only in the light of historical experience, not only with the aid of the many methods of
scientific knowledge, but in the first place in the light of the revealed word of the living God. …
Man is the image of God partly through the mandate received from his Creator to subdue, to
dominate, the earth. In carrying out this mandate, man, every human being, reflects the very
action of the Creator of the universe” (Laborem Exercens [14 September 1981]). By spreading
God’s word, love, and miracles, I am spreading, in a way, the common good. God is not an evil
entity, he is the Creator of the world and everything in it; without God, we would not exist.
God’s word is faith. God is love because he forgives the sins of the civilians and welcomes him
into his kingdom. God’s good deeds include the miracles he performs and forgiving the sins of
those who ask for forgiveness. By spreading God’s word, love, and miracles, I am spreading the
love that God has to offer. Pope John Paul II also states, “It embraces all human beings, every
generation, every phase of economic and cultural development, and at the same time it is a
process that takes place within each human being, in each conscious human subject. Each and
every individual is at the same time embraced by it. Each and every individual, to the proper
extent and in an incalculable number of ways, takes part in the giant process whereby man,
‘subdues the earth’ through his work” (Laborem Exercens [14 September 1981]). I look at my
work of spreading the word, love, and miracles of God as being a contribution to society because
I am spreading a good thing. Just like smiling at someone could change someone’s day,
spreading God’s word, love, and miracles could truly reach someone to seek God themselves and
change their lives for the better. In addition, if that someone I truly reach and they decide to seek
God, it could mean one less evil person in the world. I do not judge people by how they look, but
with as much evil as there is in the world it is hard to just trust people and I want to help lessen
the evil out there as much as possible. Also, there are rights and responsibilities with the work of
spreading God’s word, love, and miracles. The rights include freedom of speech and religion. I
use my freedom of speech right to discuss bible verses and what I know about God to others to
try and have them see the light of God. In addition, I know that anyone can follow any religion
and I do not try to change that, instead I try to make people aware of who God is and what he is
capable of. I do not get offended if they decide to not listen to me or follow God because I know
that kind of response is due to the devil not allowing the person to see the light of God. Pope
John Paul II states, “Work understood as a ‘transitive’ activity, that is to say an activity
beginning in the human subject and directed towards an external object, presupposes a specific
dominion by man over ‘the earth’, and in its turn it confirms and develops this dominion. It is
clear that the term ‘the earth’ of which the biblical text speaks is to be understood in the first
place as the fragment of the visible universe that man inhabits. By extension, however, it can be
understood as the whole of the visible world insofar as it comes within the range of man’s
influence and of his striving to satisfy his needs” (Laborem Exercens [14 September 1981]). This
statement explains the responsibility associated with my work of spreading the word, love, and
miracles of God. The responsibility, in my opinion, is to direct God’s word and love (object
being in me) toward other people (external object). In other words, I have love to give and know
God’s word and feel it is my calling to spread it around for other people to learn and see what
God has to offer. My responsibility is to treat everyone with kindness and love because that is
what God has to offer by forgiving everyone’s sins if they ask for forgiveness and become a true
follower of Jesus. Pope John Paul II explains that work “Is not only good in the sense that it is
useful or something to enjoy; it is also good as being something worthy, that is to say, something
that corresponds to man’s dignity, that expresses this dignity and increases it” (Laborem
Exercens [14 September 1981]). Pope John Paul II explains how dignity and work are related
with the previous two statements. I maintain my dignity be spreading God’s word, love, and
miracles because even if I cannot convince someone to become a follower of God and show
them the light, I know that God will still love me. In my opinion and viewpoint, even if no one
that I meet and try to show them God’s light and share his word with, decides to become a
follower I know that I am still worthy to God for trying to spread his love and light. By trying to
spread the word, love, and miracles of God, in my eyes it increases my dignity by not giving up
when someone denies him.
In addition, to rights, responsibilities, and dignity, the vocation of spreading God’s word,
love, and miracles also addresses inequality throughout the world. God looks at everyone as
being equal and he accepts everyone. By spreading his word, love, and miracle I hope to make
people realize that we are all human and equal no matter the social status of others. I want people
to see each other as if they are looking through God’s eyes. Also, spreading the word, love, and
miracles of God addresses social justice issues because if people believe and pray for help with
the social justice issue then God could help with it and maybe even end the social justice issue.
John Lewis stated in his interview with Tippett, “Because in the final analysis, we did become a
circle of trust, a band of brothers and sisters. So it didn’t matter whether we’re Black or white. It
didn’t matter whether you came from the North, to the South, or whether you’re a Northerner or
Southerner. We were one” (John Lewis — Love in Action). If I were to meet with John Lewis, I
would elaborate on this and try to find a way for everyone to understand that everyone is equal
no matter what. I would want to form a group of people to become a solidarity to try to spread
the fact that we are all humans and equal to one another.
I worked for Giant Eagle for ten years during high school and my early years in college.
The union for Giant Eagle did not do much for the employees and I hardly saw our union rep,
maybe once every couple months. The reason I stayed at Giant Eagle for so long was because I
got free health insurance. It was an independently owned store, and the owner would take health
care away from the employees if they were students; even though I was a part-time employee
who was eligible for insurance and obtained the health insurance, once I became a student I
would lose it. I feel sorry for the employees at Amazon. I think that a union should want to fight
for the employees, but also feel that the employer should try to give the employees what they
want/need. I understand wanting to negotiate and find common ground, but I feel Amazon as an
employer is not wanting to even negotiate with their employees to compromise and somehow
find a solution to keep everyone (the employees and employer) happy.
My vocation goal is to spread God’s word, love, and miracles to as many people as
possible. In the journey of spreading the word, love, and miracles of God I am finding myself as
in who I am, and I want in life. My father and stepmom started Holy Hotdogs. Holy Hotdogs is
where my father and stepmom go to different locations (I believe three or four now a couple days
a week) and give out free hot dogs to low-income communities. In addition, they have clothes,
shoes, toys, and even food donated to them to hand out to the low-income communities. I have
been unable to attend due to work and school, but once I graduate, I plan on going with them to
see the joy they bring to others. My dad posts on Facebook images they take and it is amazing to
see the people so happy. Some of the people they give to have absolutely nothing and it is one of
God’s miracles that my father and step-mom are able to help so many people. That is part of the
reason I want to continue to spread God’s word, love, and miracles. God is every where and even
though one might not see it, he is always performing miracles.
 Bibliography
“John Lewis — Love in Action.” The on Being Project, 8 Nov.2021. 4 November 2022.
https://onbeing.org/programs/john-lewis-love-in-action/#audio
Laborem Exercens (14 September 1981). John Paul II. 14 Sept. 1981. 4 November 2022.
www.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/encyclicals/documents/hf_jp-
ii_enc_14091981_laborem-exercens.html