It was in 2003, and Father’s Day was fast approaching. I was looking for a gift for Mike. At that time I was attending a Catholic lay ministry located in Brea, California. Not far from the ministry was a Christian bookstore. I walked in and looked around for that special gift. A young salesman approached me and asked if I needed any help. When I explained, he suggested I purchase the book “The Purpose Driven Life.”
I had never heard of Rick Warren, the author of “The Purpose Driven Life”, nor did I know about his ministry. This book has sold over 34 million copies and has been translated into 85 languages. Mike was one of the millions that enjoyed the book. This book was published in 2002, catapulting Saddle Back Church into becoming a mega church. People were transformed because of Pastor Warren’s writings. This book was inspired by God; many Bible references are proof of that.
Every Moment of Your Life Matters
On a family vacation we invited our nephew Freddie. Freddie and Mikos were about eleven-years old. While we were swimming in Bass Lake, Freddie pointed to a kid and said, “Tia, I think that kid is drowning!” I looked over and said, “I don’t think so.” Then Freddie went to the boy, grabbed him and pulled him out of the water. The boy was indeed about to drown. By the time Freddie reached the shore, the boy’s mother came screaming in panic. Freddie was placed there at that exact moment to save this child. Why did I not recognize the warning signs? It was because God was going to use Freddie for this purpose, not me.
If you are still wondering why you were put on earth, then you have not found your purpose. We were all created for a purpose; our birth was no accident. Some of us are born to loving families while others are not. What you experienced in your childhood will either make you stronger, or place you in the victim mentality.
As you grow into adulthood you are either equipped to face the problems of the world or to develop insecurities. These insecurities are solidified by Satan’s voice to remind you of your pasted sufferings. You place yourself in a limbo state of mind and blame others for your failures. God allows you to experience rejection so that you can grow from the experience. It is never too late to receive the gifts God has set aside for you. Until you realize this epiphany, nothing else matters; fame, success, personal goals are like making a wish and blowing on a dandelion.
What matters is the tug in your heart, telling you something is missing. That void will remain in your spirit until you reconcile with God. Your purpose in life is to find the treasures and gifts from your Creator. I like to exercise and I know that’s good for my health, but I will never allow the obsession of vanity to take over my mind. Outward appearance is important, but an obsession with exercising destroys the balance of who you are inside. We must concentrate on our inward beauty as well. You may look great on the outside but to what avail if you are broken spiritually?
Recognizing Our Creator
If you are a runner, you are a different breed. You run to clear your head, to fill your lungs with good air and to stay in shape. Running is a spiritual journey because your mind naturally goes into deep thought. My husband has always been a runner; not a day passes without him working out on the treadmill. Before the treadmill Mike would run up and down hills in our neighborhood. He runs one hour a day to stay healthy and to start his day with a good workout. This balances his life.
I love to go on long walks, taking in all of God’s beauty. My eyes feast on the brilliant colors of the blooming flowers and trees, and the scent that fills the soft breeze allows me to experience a whiff of another of God’s creations. All this was created by God for our enjoyment. How can anyone contest God’s creation?
Your Transformation
So how do you get there? We seek what makes us feel good, right? We use our God-given senses to start the long journey home. I know I’m on the right path, but many times the things of the world detour my journey.
If we keep our eyes on the road and focus on the destination, we will eventually arrive. The world is a noisy place, suffering from great pain, but the burdens that we all carry can easily be unloaded.
The Lord welcomes the brokenhearted, the downcast, the rejected. He takes us as we are. Allow Him to comfort you and to make you whole because when you are made whole, you can be mightily used by God. Our roads will never be straight, our lives will never be perfect, but one thing is for certain: you will have peace in all circumstances of your life
When I suffered from a severe case of COVID I never once got angry with God. Instead I drew closer to Him. I trusted that He would see me through this trial. The fear of the unknown was always looming, but through prayer all this was lifted. I have an assignment from God: to pray for others, to write about His wonderful deeds, and to be a witness of His love for others.
My Prayer:
From one of my favorite verses: Philippians 4:8 “Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lively, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.”