A very good friend just called to ask me a question. Her daughter is graduating next month, and she's putting together a book of letters for her. Letters that are all written by people who have touched her daughter's life in some way, shape or form. She gave me a specific topic to write my letter about - she asked if I would share about finding purpose in life - hopefully, God's purpose. It didn't take long to write the letter, as I have some fresh, new personal insights on the subject. I don't know if they're worth sharing or not - but anyway, here they are. :-)
As I think about purpose – I find it almost unbelievable that I’m sitting here typing on a computer that was given to me for an actual paying job that I’ve now had for almost one year. Why is that unbelievable? As you know, I have just been a wife and mother my entire life. I shouldn’t say “just.” Being a wife and mother is an amazing task; challenging, fulfilling, complicated, extremely rewarding, frustrating, awe-inspiring, and so much more, all wrapped up into one "occupation." However, for most of my married life, that was my sole purpose. I loved it and didn’t regret it…but I also sometimes wondered if there wasn’t something more I could do; some other purpose God might have for me. Yet with homeschooling, I didn’t want to leave home to find out what that other purpose might possibly be. I didn’t want to turn my children over to someone else 40 or 50 hours a week so I could go seek some different purpose for my life. Thus I continued, day after day, week after week, year after year, doing my “wife and mother” job and doing my best to be content in it because I knew it was God’s purpose for me.
I whole-heartedly believe Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.” I believe that taking a day at a time, doing and living the life God has for you, IS his purpose for your life! He doesn’t give us a 20 page report, or an outline – not even a rough draft! – of what our life will be like. He simply wants our faith and trust, day by day, so that he can make that path “straight” for us.
That’s why I’m amazed to be sitting at this particular computer, writing about this particular subject. About a year ago, the founder and executive director of Coyote Hill instant messaged me and simply asked if I’d be interested in doing some part-time work for Coyote Hill…all from my home, and all with software and a computer set-up that they would provide. Since they are a not-for-profit ministry, they receive nice items that are donated or sold to them at very reduced prices. So they had some very nice desktop publishing software (Photoshop CS4, InDesign CS4, etc), but no one in the office had time to learn it or make use of it for the ministry’s benefit. So now I actually get PAID to sit here at home and use this amazing software, update their website, create newsletters, emails and booklets to keep Coyote Hill in touch with their donors and to hopefully convince them to keep donating – and I absolutely love every minute of it! It’s incredible – I could not have chosen a more fulfilling job for myself if I had spent the past 20 years of my life working towards it. God just dumped it in my lap. It’s one of my biggest affirmations that God really does honor and bless us, when we stay faithful to doing what He wants us to do, day after day after day. A very wise person once said, “The best job for you is a job that you’d be willing to do for free if you had to.” That’s how my life has been…I am still doing the “wife and mother” job for no (earthly) pay – and I love my Coyote Hill job so much that I would do it for no pay, either, if it came to that. (Larry - you didn't hear that ;-)
Live a life that honors God and do what He puts before you to do each day, taking one day at a time…and you WILL find your purpose in life. I truly believe it's that simple.
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