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This has been a difficult season of our life. It is so easy to get discouraged or feel down about what has been going on. We can get so focused on the day to day - worrying about paying bills, using our savings, wondering if or when Ryan will hear back from a company. I get so wrapped up in what is currently happening, that I often forget to look at the big picture.This is just a chapter. This too shall pass. What am I really living for and how can what I am doing today affect the life that I will ultimately look back on? What is my purpose in life? Sometimes it's easy to miss how the little things in my daily life can make a difference in the grand scheme of things.
I know what my BIG purpose in life is. It's to reflect Christ and encourage others to draw near to Him. There are plenty of ways I can do this...even in my current situation. The biggest opportunity is with my own daughter. After you have a baby, you begin to really grasp the magnitude of the responsibility you have taken on. I am the one who has the opportunity to show her unconditional love, to teach her about Jesus, and to instill joy into her little heart. It's crazy how she already copies little things I do - I need to make sure that I am being the best example I can for her every single day. I can also use this time to encourage and love on my husband. I definitely have low points, but rather than sit and mope, I can uplift Ryan and find ways to show him that he's still the greatest man in the world in my eyes. I can continue to grow my friendships with others - using some of my free time to help them out or lend a listening ear.
There have been many of you who have done something in "the here and now" - something that you may have thought was no big deal. I've received texts saying we are being prayed for, random cards of encouragement, clothing for Rilynn or a coffee date for Ryan and I. These little things always seem to come at the times when my heart desperately needs them. They have been incredible blessings in my life and will be kindnesses that I will never forget. This has opened my eyes to see that the simple things that I do day to day for others, can make an impact bigger than I could have ever imagined.
My purpose in life isn't to be happy. It's not to feel comfortable. My purpose in life is to bless and encourage others. It's to live my life in a way that brings people to Christ. That goal is not dependent on where we are living or Ryan's state of employment. That goal is something I can work towards no matter what. There's a comfort in knowing that as long as you are working towards that, that God will take care of you. He has a plan for our life.
