Destination…Purpose! If only we had a GPS that could take us to our purpose! The truth is, if we did have one, we would find it to be a very short trip.
At various times in our lives we think about our purpose and set out to try and find it. We often look for large scale ideas that can make an impact, but we fail to look at the now and how we are already making a difference. I have three highly independent children who are out in the world doing three different things with their lives. They are each using their gifts to make their corner of the world better. This is what parenting works towards. That means that in the times that we are changing diapers, making dinners, helping with homework, getting them to sports practice and cleaning the house, we are fulfilling our purpose. We may not see it at the time, but we will see it in the future. This is not just the case for parents. This is true for everyone. Together with God we make a difference.
The fulfillment of our purpose happens when we are fulfilling our purpose each day that is set before us.
Parents may see only pots and pans. Children may only see homework. The to-do-list, in our limitations, can seem mundane and endless, but God sees the bigger picture and the differences we are making.
My children are grown, but my purpose in life is not over. It is set before me just as it was when I was raising them. Of course, some things take great discernment. I am not referring to those bigger decisions. You also cannot say yes to everything or you will burn out. I am referring to the times we say yes in the simplicity of our daily lives. These times form us and direct our path without us even thinking about it. In most situations, among the pots and pans, so to speak, we often come to realize that all any of us have to do is say yes for today and each today that comes to make a difference. We say yes to those who we have the ability to help. We say yes to being good stewards of the gifts we have been given. We say yes to giving what we have and receiving what others may want to share with us. By that sharing, we form commUNITY, which is always vital. We say yes to new opportunities if they seem right and good and we say yes to learning. In the stillness of our hearts we follow what we become passionate about even if it seems silly.
We say yes every day to the desires of the Father’s heart and we trust that with each step we are making a difference. Each step is taking us to the finish line whether we can see it or not. Each finish line is not the end, but the beginning of a new purpose. By this we see that there is nothing ordinary about any day in our lives.
While there are countless different things we say yes to, when we are striving to make a difference, they all have one thing in common. They all entail sacrifice. To make a difference, we say yes to benefit someone else, not our self gain. It is other oriented. On our own we are incapable of sacrifice, but the greater we grow in our love for God, the greater is our ability to sacrifice with love…and not with grumbling. Yes, God is love and and He has shown us that true love is in sacrifice.
Being mindful of being united to Jesus in the sacrifice, helps us to be the unceasing prayer because on our own, we would never be able to make even the smallest other-oriented gesture. That is why we are in great union with Him when we sacrifice and why everything we do becomes a powerful prayer.
Even self-care is other oriented as in taking care of our physical, mental and spiritual selves, we can maintain our health and with a refreshed mind and spirit, we can more readily give with a heart of love.
During Covid, my routine changed. In these months I have used the time to create the life I would want when I retired. Having my son with me in the beginning was a big help as it is in his nature to be a supportive coach. When he stepped out of the car at the airport, I thought that my support had gone and without my cheerleader, I wouldn’t be able to continue on the road I had begun to travel on at the start of Covid. Then I realized that was not true. The roles had been reversed. Over the last two months he was raising me so I could be independent on this new purpose-filled road. His returning home was a fulfillment of his purpose at that time. When he got on the plane, a new purpose for him had begun just as mine had. All the steps I needed to begin my retirement journey were prepared before the road would be traveled on because each day, step-by-step for the past several years, I was fulfilling my purpose for the day until the time came for me to have a support system to pull it all together.
In fulfilling my daily purpose, God was gently getting me ready for a new purpose, a purpose that could not be met without first daily preparing for it with my yes.
Then, when it was all set, He sent me the encouragement I would need to hit go.
Each day that we say yes, we are fulfilling our purpose. It is met with all that we are given. God doesn’t make it hard. We do. Our gifts, talents, circumstances and heart lead us day by day. When we fail to realize it, we fail to enjoy the spectacular gift of today. We fail to see the loving hand of God preparing us ahead of time for what we will need down the line.
It is that very hand that loves us that assures us we don’t need to worry about tomorrow. We only need to do what we need to do today.
To procrastinate and put off things will cause problems as that is our free-will no. It is a way of blocking the very thing we want…purpose. The things we put off way heavy on us, making it difficult to move forward. But with our yes, we can soar because we are carried safely in the wings of God. Psalm 91:4
For Prayerful Reflection with God
Are you aware that when you do things while being mindful of God’s presence, by your very life, you become a prayer? If it’s hard to be mindful constantly that is understandable. Try starting and ending each thing you do being mindful of God. If possible to remember, take a small pause while doing the job to remember you are doing your responsibility with God.
When doing for others, do you have a selfish motive or an other-oriented motive?
Are you grumbling in your sacrifices? Perhaps you need some self-care so that you may be more loving when you do for others.
Reflect on how many things you said yes to in the simplicity of your day and how that made a difference for others.
Are you giving time to explore your gifts and grow in the things that interest you? Are you mindful that by your growth, God may be preparing you for the future? At the very least, these may be a cause of refreshment to you and when you use your gifts, you always glorify God because on your own, you cannot do them.
When you think about your past, can you now see how God was preparing you for what you are doing today?