Choosing Purpose

When I was pregnant with my firstborn, more than 11 years ago, I developed the notion that we should live on purpose– that we should step out and make things happen instead of always waiting for things to happen to us.

Dave Ramsey says effective people make a dent in things, things don’t make a dent in them.

Living on purpose, I believe, often leads to living for our purpose. God created you and me with a plan in mind. He has things He desires for us to achieve with our lives. I know with free will, however, that we can stray from the path of purpose and flounder about. But when we choose to live on purpose, for His purpose, His power flows through us, enabling us to do the work He has called us to.

From time to time, I lose sight of the purposes God intends for me to fulfill. When I do, I find that I feel overwhelmed by everything in my life. But when I focus on Him, and on His ability to give me what I need to fulfill His purposes, I have peace.

A few of the purposes God placed on me:

• Being Mr. W’s Wife
• Parenting/Homeschooling/Raising a big family
• Writing
• The Towing Industry

Sometimes I lose sight of these purposes, or more often, I put them in the wrong order.

Writing drops off the list every time I get a little too busy. It’s hard to force myself to take the time to write because it feels a little bit selfish or indulgent. (Especially since my brain can’t seem to send words to my fingers in a noisy, chaotic environment.) Sometimes I let parenting take a lead role over marriage, which distorts how our days go. Sometimes I let my work in our tow business take the top seat, and then it seems to drag everything else along on a very bumpy ride.

I’ve been tempted to give up homeschooling more and more recently. As much as I feel like it’s the right choice for us, I don’t always know how to keep all of the plates spinning. I’m also learning that God is calling me to a deeper reliance on Him – one that requires me to ask Him for strength, for guidance, and for help to make the most of every moment.

I believe families would be stronger if the marriage came first and presented a unified stance on most/all issues with the kids. That is harder than I ever imagined with a blended family. There are so many moving parts, and so many factors to consider. As Mr. W and I get better at discussing how to handle parenting events before they even occur, and as we find the places we agree and the places we can compromise to come to agreement, we are learning to present ourselves as a team to our family. I heard once that it can take up to 7 years for a blended family to really work all of that out. I thought that seemed like a long estimation, but it seems to be an accurate one.

Towing… I don’t even know where to begin. There are so many blessings to being in business for ourselves and being part of such a connected community. I thank God often for this opportunity in our lives. I also find myself greatly overwhelmed by all of the things I constantly have to take care of. It weighs heavy on my shoulders thinking of the families that rely on our business being run correctly, paychecks being ready on time, calls continuing to come in, trucks running properly, and more. Our business isn’t just our bread and butter, but it is the bread and butter for other families, as well. It is this reality that keeps me up at night, hoping that my best was enough for that day. Again, I believe God is calling me to depend fully on Him, to remember that He called us to provide this service to our community, and to remember that He is the one who makes His plans succeed.

Our pastor, Craig Groeschel, has said a few times, “If you don’t know the purpose of a thing, you will misuse it. Don’t ask the thing it’s purpose, though. Ask the Creator of the thing.”

His words ring true every time I hear him teach on purpose. I think about it with my spouse, our marriage, our precious kids, and our business. As I am writing this post, I am realizing that I need to submit the purpose of my writing to God, and ask Him to speak through me. I’ve prayed since I was pregnant the very first time for God to reveal my kids’ purpose(s) to them at a young age, and for Him to help me help them on their paths. I suppose it’s time I pray a similar prayer over my writing.

What purpose has God placed on your life? How are you fulfilling your purpose(s)?