PURPOSE
Wikepedia defines it as "Purpose is a result, end, mean, aim, or goal of an action intentionally undertaken." Guess which part I really, really like in this? "Intentionally!" It changes everything for me.
As I read through the Gospels toward the end of 2010 with my fellow Pastor's wives at LifeSong, I saw Jesus being so intentional day in and day out. I can remember viewing the word, "intentional" as a stressor in my life. I, for whatever reason, felt that it required a whole lot of work and a whole lot of planning ahead. What I discovered when I read is that Jesus just lived life. He was! I mean, He is...OK, He's the great I AM! As I read the Gospels and focused on reading in order to just see Jesus for who He is, I saw Purpose and a realness that felt new and fresh to me. In applying this to a New Year, that freshness and realness took on new meaning and put my focus on having purpose and intentionality in every, single thing I do. Every, single thing I say. Every, single circumstance - whether big or small! I honestly believe that I thought I would see fireworks or sirens would sound when I actually had "planned" ahead on how I would approach my New Year. That just hasn't been the case. I have the most honest, real and sincere peace over me as I seek to make every moment count. I've failed countless times already, here 11 days in, thus bringing another change. The old Amy would be beyond frazzled over failure, but the new Amy is taking the failures and waking up each day CHOOSING to not be ruled by fear, failure, disappointment, but instead she is living. Yep...living! She rolls with the punches. She looks in her mirror and not the mirror of another for approval or comparison. She understands freedom and she lives in it, irregardless of the opinion of another. There's a lot of life to live. I wasn't put on this earth to live it just for me. Being a mom that stays home, it's easy to lose my identity and feel I'm not making a difference, but when I see it through the lens of purpose I see that I could be raising a daughter that will be a world-changer, or that as I spend a day sending out notes of encouragement to someone who is alone, or taking a meal to someone who is too weak to cook for themselves, or going to serve my husband in the office just so he can concentrate on something else, I see that I'm loving others more than myself. It's purpose! It may not be how the world defines it, but nonetheless, it is loving others as Christ did.
The definition of PURPOSE also states there is an end result. Check back in 2012 for what I hope will be a HUGE end result of changed lives (not just mine) and big impact on me personally, my family and my community. May God use me for HIS purposes and to venture out WAY beyond myself!
As I read through the Gospels toward the end of 2010 with my fellow Pastor's wives at LifeSong, I saw Jesus being so intentional day in and day out. I can remember viewing the word, "intentional" as a stressor in my life. I, for whatever reason, felt that it required a whole lot of work and a whole lot of planning ahead. What I discovered when I read is that Jesus just lived life. He was! I mean, He is...OK, He's the great I AM! As I read the Gospels and focused on reading in order to just see Jesus for who He is, I saw Purpose and a realness that felt new and fresh to me. In applying this to a New Year, that freshness and realness took on new meaning and put my focus on having purpose and intentionality in every, single thing I do. Every, single thing I say. Every, single circumstance - whether big or small! I honestly believe that I thought I would see fireworks or sirens would sound when I actually had "planned" ahead on how I would approach my New Year. That just hasn't been the case. I have the most honest, real and sincere peace over me as I seek to make every moment count. I've failed countless times already, here 11 days in, thus bringing another change. The old Amy would be beyond frazzled over failure, but the new Amy is taking the failures and waking up each day CHOOSING to not be ruled by fear, failure, disappointment, but instead she is living. Yep...living! She rolls with the punches. She looks in her mirror and not the mirror of another for approval or comparison. She understands freedom and she lives in it, irregardless of the opinion of another. There's a lot of life to live. I wasn't put on this earth to live it just for me. Being a mom that stays home, it's easy to lose my identity and feel I'm not making a difference, but when I see it through the lens of purpose I see that I could be raising a daughter that will be a world-changer, or that as I spend a day sending out notes of encouragement to someone who is alone, or taking a meal to someone who is too weak to cook for themselves, or going to serve my husband in the office just so he can concentrate on something else, I see that I'm loving others more than myself. It's purpose! It may not be how the world defines it, but nonetheless, it is loving others as Christ did.
The definition of PURPOSE also states there is an end result. Check back in 2012 for what I hope will be a HUGE end result of changed lives (not just mine) and big impact on me personally, my family and my community. May God use me for HIS purposes and to venture out WAY beyond myself!
1 comment:
I love your word choice - Purpose. You ARE making a difference and God is using you more than you know. Of course, your girls and your husband are a huge purpose but what a wonderful blessing to be intentional and on purpose raise those girls for the glory of God. My word for 2011 is balance. God is teaching me much; I love a new year and new perspective. Love you friend!
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