Mission and Purpose

Mission and Purpose

Here’s the conclusion – do you know your Mission and Purpose?  How are you doing toward fulfilling it?

This is my story……

I have always had a deep need to know my mission and purpose, to identify whatever strengths I perceived I had and to take on tasks/projects that would advance what I understood of my mission and purpose.

It certainly was a key motivator for serving in the military for 23 years, in some form or fashion.  I believed it was giving back, serving the community/country where God had planned to grow me.  I don’t really think I would have done differently even if born in a country we might consider an enemy.

I struggled for years in church trying to see if I was to go into missions.  According to the process, I never found my people group to serve.   Been blessed in recent years to find that my people group is those of us in recovery who are broken sinners, redeemed, but working on struggling better and in healthier ways, with our particular issues.  It is so deeply satisfying to serve my brothers and sisters here.

When we had our children at home, one of my key drivers was to ensure they had a spiritual grounding that I had missed when growing up.  We can find ourselves lost in the wilderness without a compass.  But then knowing Jesus was my True North, my purpose was to ensure that my kiddos had a way to orienteer in this world with the Best Guide.  I have been honored to serve them in this way.

Although blessed with provision, my work career was a hellacious scramble for stability and cash flow.  I hated it.  Never so glad to leave it behind, as I found the arena to be incredibly hurtful, not only to me, but to so many friends who had no voice or strength to counter the many invalidating and condemning messages, day in and day out.  The only way I knew to keep my head above water was to try and start noontime Bible studies… to remind myself and the few others, that there was/is a persistent hope beyond what seems to be the reality staring at us in our face.  I am thankful to God for keeping me afloat in my otherwise sea of despair.

Along the way in life, my wife and I learned how to rebuild and strengthen our marriage, after a horrible start and season of separation.  It was in learning to strengthen our marriage, we began to share what we had learned with others, to encourage them that there is hope, and with some investment in education and change in practices, many struggles can be healed.   We have been so blessed over the last years to sit around our breakfast table, teaching and encouraging.

So in this time of what we call retirement, helping those strengthen their marriages, coaching those in recovery from life’s hurts, hang-ups and addictions, and by supporting family and friends, doing life together, we have our mission and purpose.  The common thread for me has been my relationship with Jesus, growing to trust and let go of my struggle to control.  The journey is the adventure, and it can be very difficult at times.

I share this to encourage you to consider…. What is holding your story together?  Are you struggling well?  If you need help, please reach out…….