Purpose is an elusive thing—at least at some times and during some seasons. You are blessed and highly favored if you have a sense of why you are where you are and what you should be doing to accomplish your why.

It can be very tempting to think that “once I get [insert any position, place, thing], THEN I will have a sense of purpose!” I’ll speak from my own experience and say that I have often thought that my purpose was found outside of myself. I once thought purpose would be found in finally becoming a qualified engineer—nope. I have thought it would be in having certain relationships—also no. What about in a certain number or quality of relationships?—three times no.

Of course, purpose (and our whole lives!) must be lived out in the context of those things—but what is purpose still? Coming to Kenya and pursuing God’s work wherever He would lead me should certainly provide purpose... You would think! But the reality is that purpose is not guaranteed nor even desirable if it comes mostly from your environment. I have gone hours and days of wondering, what is the purpose God has for me even while doing my darndest to serve Him in the most direct ways I know!

I am coming to find and believe that purpose and the satisfaction you get out of an event or happening in your life is more related to HOW you go about it as opposed to WHAT it is you are doing. Maybe the sense of satisfaction is 80% how you pursue you daily tasks and only 20% what your tasks actually are.

I’m not really sure. I cannot always change what I am doing, but I can change how I go about it.

A great high school teacher of mine, Mrs. Christian, once distilled purpose down to a simply phrase: your purpose in life is to love and be loved.

To be loving and to allow yourself to be loved. Have I figured out how to do that perfectly in every situation? Nope, but I’m recently challenging myself to think more about it. I want to think and eventually feel the idea contained here: “How can I share my care and concern for this person right now?”

Sometimes it is a smile, a fist bump, a listening ear. Sometimes it is a ride, quality time, a random message when they come to mind. Less and less, it is about what those things are, but rather that there is something present in my interaction and conversation that shows I love you.

Have you figured out what purpose looks like in your life? How do you think about it?

Much love! 🙂