finding purpose in daily life

The sun is slipping towards the western horizon, and house is peacefully quiet. I sit at the table, chai at hand, enjoying the stillness and watching the breeze play with the sunlit leaves outside the window. Another day is coming to a close. It was a normal sort of day with nothing much out of the ordinary. Yet as I sit here, thoughts begin to crowd my mind, begging to be put to paper. For while it was an ordinary day, I'm reminded that God uses even those to teach me and mold me.

I find that it's usually on the ordinary days that I tend to loose sight of my true purpose in life. Those day-to-day things clutter my mind, keeping me focused on simply getting through another twenty-four hours. A glance at my schedule is proof enough that my days are generally quite full. Today however, I had the privilege of having "girl-time" with a friend at the local coffee shop. These times are a highlight to my week, as I always leave them encouraged. We're simply two girls sharing about life, but I'm amazed at how it ends up a time of challenging each other in our walks with the Lord. As our conversation led from one topic to the next, there was one thing in particular that stood out to me: Our purpose in life is to love.

Loving God and loving others. That's what this life is all about. Seriously, sometimes I wonder how I can be so forgetful! In the rush of daily life, it's often these simple kinds of truths that get overlooked. In the task of processing what to do this fall or next year, it's generally not the first thought on my mind. That's why I am so thankful that God has given me friends who challenge me to get back to the basics and remember what this life is all about. God has poured out on us His unconditional love, and our purpose is to share that with others. To be so filled by His love that it flows freely from our lives, in everything we do, wherever we go. We all want to have purpose in life, but too often we search for it in the wrong places. We look for it in our jobs, in approval from others, in our talents, in ministry...the list goes on and on. But as a daughter of the King, that is not where my purpose lies.

My life isn't glamorous - it's pretty normal. Yet in this "normal" life, I have a mission and a purpose: To love as Christ loves me. It's definitely not always an easy task, yet it is so simple. Love isn't dependent on my location or what my schedule is for the day; it is to be lived out anywhere and everywhere. If you are at home with children, you can love.  If you are overseas in a foreign country, you can love. If you are working at your job, you can love. If you are in school, you can love.

Loving God and loving others. That's what this life is all about.

"The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love."

Galatians 5:6