21 Questions
Who? What? Where? When? Why? There comes a time in life that we all battle these questions. Truth is, these questions barely scratch the surface of the the things that we ponder on a daily basis. There is a car commercial that states that human beings think on average 3,000 thoughts a day. Firstly, I must be abnormal because I probably think 3,000 thoughts upon waking up in the morning. But the majority of my thoughts, breed more questions. Introspection or over-analyzation?... Where do we go from here? Each stage in life brings a new question. Graduation from middle school to high school: where's the party? What college should I begin to consider? What do I want to do with my life? Those things matter, but they are a bit of a ways off...at least that's what we think in the moment (except for the party...we want that stat). Graduation from high school: Where's the party???!!!, What do I want to major in? What am I good at? What do I love? What are my hearts desires and how do I go about achieving them? How can I pay these bills???!!! Graduation from college: Jesus, how can I pay these bills????!!!!! Where do I go from here???... Suddenly (for most people), reality strikes. Faced with adulthood...you are now solely responsible for your own fate. The reasonable transition from middle school was to high school, from high school to college from college....then what? All the answers to the questions you previously had...become null, void and no longer make sense. At this point, the main question becomes...what was I created to do? It finally hits you..." I am here for a specific reason". What is my purpose? Yes, by this time life has happened and we now have bills that must be paid...we have to earn a living to survive, but no longer do we wish to waste time on the trivial...time to get to the meat and bones of it all. Gifts, talents, skills, training, education and passion versus purpose. How do you know which way to choose? Some of us have more than one thing we are good at. Some may be naturally good at one thing, yet trained and educated exceptionally well in something else. In addition to these things, there are the things that we love (which for some of us...happen to be the things we are good at, or have been trained in). Not to mention the "thing" (gift/talent/skill/strength) that may run in our families which we may feel forced to follow. With all of this...where do we go? What path do we take? This not simply a fork in the road-- the inner turmoil that can come with figuring out an answer to this question is much more complex than that. For some, this process is a piece of cake. For others, a slice of pie. But for many of us, this can be emotional turmoil...a poo-poo platter...a mess that only God can (and will) turn into a miracle! Each of us were created and marked with a very specific purpose...like our fingerprint. Unique. There is something YOU were created to do that no one else can do like you. The proof may be in the pudding, but the trick is the journey of getting there. I definitely don't have all the answers. Honestly, I probably have more questions than answers. But I do know one thing. I have an assignment to complete, as do you. One of the first steps is making a choice. As, you must make a choice in order to prioritize what's important. The song lied...time is not on our side. It is one of the most valuable gifts we as humans have been given, it moves fast and there is not enough!!! To assume that "time is on our side" is foolish. Joyce Meyer once said " do not live as if tomorrow will never come, because it always does". Because time is not on our side, it must be used wisely. Don't squander the gifts that have been freely handed to you!!! Time. Cherish it...make wise decisions, prioritize and do IT...whatever "it" may be. The who, what, where, when's and why's, may be the least of our concerns. Is it important to think things through? Absolutely. Just don't think yourself into a frenzy...thinking away our time, thus thinking away our task (our purpose). In the movie "As Good As It Gets" the character Simon had been hospitalized after a brutal attack, his friends were trying to get him to wait to look at the damage to his face...he responded "waiting gives the devil time", he proceeds to take the mirror and face his reality head on. It may be ugly, may be hard, but find a way to face finding your purpose head on. On the flip side, refrain from becoming detrimentally impulsive--but get to work!!!! Closed doors speak just as loudly as open doors. Start doing something, and your purposeful path will become clear. Remain faithful. Through the fog, through the questions, through the heartache and all the emotions that come with unclarity...be steadfast. When your busy moving forward, the who, what, where, when's and whys may not disappear, but will become minuscule. Some of us have been working, faithful, and committed. Take heart. Keep moving. Take inventory. May be time for a change. Though the journey may be difficult, be sure of 2 things: 1. You are not alone (and I'm not talking about God)...many face this issue. 2. It will all work out. Your faithfulness and your pure heart will be rewarded. The reward for faithfulness is more. So keep it pushing, and prepare for your increase. Questions. Introspective? Or over-analyzation? Could be both, could be neither. Either way. Get busy. Stay busy. Stay tuned....Tootles.
