PURPOSE

When I think about purpose, why do I automatically think about Justin Bieber singing his song that’s entitled “Purpose”? The lyrics in this song are pretty awesome and deserve just a little bit of our attention. If you’ve been reading my blog, you know I have a weird obsession with definitions. My mother told me that she played with the dictionary as a child. I feel like so many people are saying in their head right now, “that's so lame”.  But, she explained that she basically, would go to random pages and teach herself the words on the page. I then grew up spending time doing the same thing. Now that technology has evolved, I look words up on the dictionary app. Yes, lol there’s an app for the dictionary. And yes, I just lol’d. Look I just did it again. I want this blog to be a genuine representation of who I am, and comfortable for me to write. I use the phrase lol often. Even though you can now access the dictionary on your electronic device, I encourage you to keep a physical copy of the dictionary at home as well. Hello! It also adds “bookshelf character”. I understand that I have nerd-like tendencies and to be honestly, I appreciate that side of myself. I do genuinely enjoy googling words on my iPhone or laptop. It’s like a little self-confidence builder. I know that I can use the specific words that I have taken the time to look up, to its fullest potential, because I’ve checked the dignified, definition that it carries. The word purpose, carries this specific definition;

pur·pose

/ˈpərpəs

the reason for which something is done or created or for which something exists

So when we hear, and use the repetitive phrase, “Everyone has a purpose in life”, or some variation of that, we are really saying that we believe that everyone was born with intention, due to the fact that there is a reason for why we were created, that there is a specific reason why each of us exist. Aren’t words brilliant? Did you understand that such a statement carried so much depth? Do you still that believe that everyone has a purpose?

Anyone who was born after 1980, is scientifically considered to be a member of generation Y, the Millennials. Welcome. This is a beautiful time and age range where I believe, growth and self-actualization can peak. I truly believe that we are becoming ourselves every day. This is a positive. This means that during this age range, we have the beautiful gift of time, to turn inward and discover our “reason”. The definition begins, by pointing out that to have purpose, you must also have reason. Through our purpose, we then gain reason as to why we were created. Our “purpose reason”, in my opinion explains why we’re here in the first place.

Taking our time is an understatement. It seems as if many of us Millennials are taking our time on a lot of milestones that our parents and grandparents had already experienced in their mid-twenties and thirties. We only state facts so let’s look at the receipts.

 Millennials are moving out later, marrying older, and having children later in life.

Ladies and gents! Never fear! It’s not too late for you to fall in love and  get married!

Not ready for a baby? You’ve got time! Apparently, we’re starting our own families later too.

Do you know what your purpose is? Have you been seeking it out? This is a perfect time and age range for this journey and this moment in your life, when you decide to find your purpose. All of these studies show that we are starting to take our time with the big M's: Moving, Marriage and Multiplying. We’ve all got to start, somewhere right? Justin’s lyrics illustrate his understanding for his purpose and for his life. Justin sings,

“And you bless me with the best gift, that I’ve ever known
You give me purpose, Yeah, you’ve given me purpose”

— Justin Bieber

I guess he’s painted the picture of purpose out really well for us. He’s named it a gift. Imagine waking up and feeling encouraged knowing that you are walking in your gifting, in your purpose. Our lives would look so different! When I made the choice to truly follow my God given purpose, I had to give some things up. You see when you aren’t walking in your purpose, you often become attached to people, places and things, that were never meant for you to be associated with, and or attached to in the first place. People, places and things, are also referred to as nouns. When these specific NOuns are found in “alternative purpose”, well you need to say NO. But now you’ve found alternative purpose in an alternative fact. Don’t be misled and blinded by alternative purpose during this rich and developing time.

 In my first blog post, Transition, I briefly explained how I ended up in Raleigh, North Carolina. My new job had a lot to do with it, but God had more. Well, I recently left that job. I had to. So that I can follow the ordained path to my specific purpose. All our paths look different but many of them come with sacrifice, and we are not exempt from suffering. I believe that certain things are kept from us intentionally by design, and that sacrifice and suffering are a blessing in the end.

In addition to the particular version of suffering, I’ve experience in life, I can clearly see how I have been continually led to the discovery of my purpose and how God continues to provide resources along the way. Like we’ve discussed before, resources, or what I love to call provision, comes in many forms. Regardless of the form, you’re able to get to the next day, and the next step in the right direction. While your searching for your purpose, or looking to God for direction, remember to be grateful and humbled by provision and the lessons. Be encouraged and know that, we've all got time and the God's timing is perfect. Make tomorrow a better day than today, and do your best to seek your true purpose. Simply start by asking yourself, "What really makes me happy?" "What am I really good at?" "What do I think about?"

A couple of scriptures that I like to refer to for encouragement about my purpose, and my journey are;

“Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails” Proverbs 19:21

"He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace" 2 Timothy 1:9
 

GRACE

God, our creator. When I sit, and begin to attempt to “conceptualize” God, my humanly thoughts only go so far before they begin to spin, or, before I find myself tapping through Tastemade’s snapchat story instead. Once I start thinking about the continents, the ocean, the sun and moon, and then the planets... things get a little fuzzy and my understanding of how big God is, becomes less clear. God, the father, the creator, matchless and comparable to none, loves me? It’s literally mind-blowing when you begin to sit and think about it. The even more mind-blowing concept is that he provided grace in the form of his son, who died in our place. Let’s me be crystal clear though, Jesus died, but not just for the readers of this blog, or those who already follow Jesus, he died for everyone. The grace birthed from the ransom, that was paid through Christ, is a gift for anybody who would like to accept it. THAT’S LITERALLY HUGE. It’s deep, its wide, if fierce. It’s the unfailing love of God. It’s existing in relationship and intimacy with him.

Grace that has been shown to us

I was raised attending church, and loved singing in the children’s choir. I loved memorizing the books of the bible. We would stand up and recite as many books in order that we could remember, and if we could recite more books than the other person, there was a prize! I loved it lol.  Sunday school and “Junior church” both aided in the foundation of my Christian beliefs. We prayed before meals at the dinner table together as a family. We also had bible study with mommy on Saturdays after she’d fixed an amazing breakfast. I mean I could quote scripture and even enjoyed praying aloud as a child. Yet, none of these things exempted me from temptation or sin. For a very long time, even though I knew Christ, I carried shame and regret from the choices that I had made in sin. Things that I wish I hadn’t done.  Secrets that I honestly wished I didn’t have to keep. Shame, like doubt, is also a form of bondage that keeps us from enjoying the fullness of this very short and temporary chapter in eternity.

 There’s this song by Travis Greene on his album “The Hill”, where the lyrics paint a picture of the ransom that was paid on the cross. “On the hill, there’s a cross, on the cross there is blood for me, for me.” This song triggered something within me when I heard it. No one had ever made it plain like that for me. Yes, Jesus died, and his blood was shed for the sins of the world. That’s a lot of people! But, there was blood for me too! There’s enough for me and all my brokenness too. He included grace for me in that ransom. Enough for every single shameful thing we can think of that we’ve ever done, and for the short comings we have not yet experienced. What would our lives look like if we walked in grace like we would in a new pair of red bottoms or Giuseppe’s? This is the season where I have chosen to rock the heck out of grace. Ladies, when we walk in the grace of the lord, we begin to move mountains in our lives, through and in him. There’s nothing that anyone can ever do to you, or remind you of, that can take away the gift of grace through salvation that has been given to us, through Christ.

Grace we must accept

Imagine it, someone gifts you a huge box with the classic big red bow on it. It’s sitting there all glamorous and attractive to your eye. You want to open it. You ask, is this big gift for me? The “gifter” confirms yes, it is for you indeed! You accept it by rushing to the huge gift and ripping the wrapping paper off, 5-year-old on Christmas morning style, I mean going at it. The red bow is now thrown meaninglessly across the floor, you want what’s inside! You open it to find a hefty stack of every single Sephora make up item you’ve ever dreamed of, mountains of Tiffany’s boxes ranging in size and karat to the right, and in the middle, a clothing rack stuffed to capacity with the entire Saint Laurent Permanent Collection. At this point you begin to cry, weep even. This is the best gift you’ve ever received. You start trying on the looks, you’re draping yourself in the diamonds, you put on that beautiful Sephora lip stain and you think to yourself, I’m a new woman! I’ve come up and arrived! See, we must accept grace like we would accept this gift. Grace is the ultimate gift. It’s what we accept, and clothe ourselves in. Accepting grace and salvation is the epitome of a come up, it’s the ultimate awakening. Continuing to walk in the bondage of shame and regret is basically saying, “Sorry Jesus. Your death wasn’t enough. I’m far too wicked, and you’re not powerful enough to actually love me, or die for me.” Why is it easier for us to see the beauty in material treasures and lack the perspective to see the unwavering beauty of the lord’s grace and love for us?

Grace towards others and our world

When we accept grace and salvation for ourselves, we begin to see the grace we must extend to those who come in and out of our journey. Grace is for everybody. How could we accept grace for ourselves and not extend the same kindness and mercy to others in some form or capacity? Showing grace, mercy and forgiveness to others, is not an easy thing to do. Loving others who mean you no good, is a mature act of grace.

“By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

John 13:35

We are known by the love we share and the fruit we bare. I think this is a great season to become more cognizant of the grace that has been shown to us, but to also make it our mission to love and show grace to others. For me this includes, being kind to those who may have never been kind to me. It can be as little as going to the office each morning and empowering yourself to say good morning to that one co-worker who never wishes you a good morning. Maybe they always brush past you without saying excuse me. Does this co-worker not deserve my grace and understanding? Have I not been loved through my seasons of being inconsiderate towards others? As you begin to accept and share grace, remember that it’s not about you. It’s never been about you. It’s about a light in you that others may see and begin to question. We know that asking questions lead to answers. Christ may be the answer to the very questions they are asking themselves. Sometimes, we are the only “Christ-like” example that people will ever see. Will they remember your grace? Did they see your love? What fruit do you bare?

"Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me."

2 Corinthians 12:8-9