Sister Mary Clare Eichman thought she knew how her life would play out. She was planning on getting married and starting a family. She thought she knew what her vocation was. But as Eichman soon realized, God had a very different plan for her.

“He knows us better than we know ourselves,” Eichman said. “I found a life I couldn’t resist, and it became so obvious that this is what he was asking.”

The life Eichman described is one of Sisters of St. Francis of the Holy Eucharist, an order of sisters based in Independence, Mo. She said she came to love the sisters after meeting with one to find out about the life.

“It felt like family,” Eichman said. “I’ve a found a spouse in Christ for all eternity. They gave me everything I’ve ever wanted.”

There are 13 sisters in Eichman’s community–a small community that does not live in traditional houses. Eichman said that the community has the gift of family, they all know each other very well. She also mentioned the little tensions that inevitably emerge when living in such close quarters with the same people.

“The grace of the Lord comes to teach us how to work through things,” Eichman said. “It’s like family–it’s a gift.”

Eichman said she enjoys talking to young people about her vocation. She said the advice she would give is to stay open.

“Stay open to the Lord,” Eichman said. “He has such incredible love, he wants to keep us close to him. He knows what will bring forth happiness.”

Senior Mattie Carter was one of the students who ate lunch with Eichman during her visit Jan. 28. She said she enjoyed hearing stories about Eichman’s life and specifically about her vocation.

“It’s really inspiring to speak to these women who dropped their entire lives to serve the Lord,” Carter said.

Eichman said that although her life went in an unexpected direction, it has made her happier than she could have ever imagined.

“I love my life,” Eichman said. “I had everything you could want–great friends, I dated, I had stuff–but there was a piece missing. I filled it in a different way.”