What on Earth am I Here For??

 

 

A few years ago Pastor Rick Warren wrote a book called "A Purpose Driven Life". The book was written from a Christian perspective, however it was also provocative for secular thinkers. The tag line for this book is "What on Earth am I Here For?". My wife and I have read this book (more than once), gone to study groups and discussed it frequently. A well written book, it was a best seller for years, which is rare for a faith based book. It catapulted this Baptist pastor directly into the national spotlight.

I have been thinking of this book quite a bit lately. It might be because I realize my tomorrows are not as numerous as my yesterdays. I think about purpose, my purpose - the cornerstone issue of the book. I have come to learn that purpose is fluid - my purpose thirty years ago is much different than my purpose is now. Part of the discovery of life becomes a quest to understand what one's purpose is now.

I think about my Mother. She is 94 and has recently moved from her assisited living apartment into a more full care facility. It was an adjustment for her, but it is where she needs to be with her health issues. My Mother has lived more years than both her parents, her sister, two nephews, cousins (except for a shoesting relative who lived to 100), and friends. She is sharp enough to realize that. She has asked many times "why am I still here". We don't know why she was choosen to live this long - all we know is she is here for a reason. At 94, there is a purpose for her that is very different than any purpose she has had earlier in her life. Discovering that purpose has been the topic of many discussions with her as of late.

Earlier this summer we lost a friend at age 59 to pancreatic cancer. This man was full of life and energy and looking forward to a exciting retirement with his wife. His purpose was clear and he lived it daily. He did not deserve to have the ending he did. It was painful for family and friends alike to watch this good man pass. However in those 59 years, the impact he had on others was enormous. His purpose led to legacy. His life typified the adage "it is not how many years you live, it is how much life you have in those years". Our friend indeed had a full and abundent life and loved the journey.

My introspection with my Mother and our friend that passed is as follows. Life can be short, painful and unfair. Most of what happens in life is beyond our control. What is in our control is how we live our lives. Am I living my life with honor? Is my purpose clear or is it still a "work in progress"? Are the good traditions I learned from my parents and grandparents being passed on? Will my legacy be one that I would be proud of? Do I really matter? 

Our family has always embraced the motto in life we celebrate the hills and together endure valleys. If life was a straight line from point A (birth) to point B (death) it would most likely be uneventful and boring. However most peoples lives look nothing like a straight line. There are hills and valleys, dips and doodles and sometimes even circles. This is the essense of life, the journey. There are stories to tell, lessons to be learned and lives to impact. What on earth am I here for? I might never know the total answer until I come face to face with God. I do know this - with this most precious gift we are all of us blessed. Those blessings can be transformed into purpose, purpose that really matters, no matter where or when you are on this journey.