{Five Minute Friday | Purpose}

It's Five Minute Friday. That means unplanned, unedited, straight-from-the-heart-to-the-paper writing. Yep, you just write whatever comes out based on a word you're given. If you have five minutes, you should give it a try!  Find out how here.

This week the prompt is {PURPOSE}.

Ready? GO.

Finding purpose is a game changer. And, every person walking the planet has a purpose pre-determined and assigned by the Creator before birth. I love that. We all have gifts; we all have purpose.

I've been studying 2 Timothy. It was the last letter written by the apostle Paul. There are a lot of things happening in this letter, and I love it! One of the things I relish most in Paul's writing to Timothy is the charge Paul issues. He's reminding Timothy of his purpose and challenging him to finish well. He says "fulfill your ministry." (2 Tim. 4:5) Because sometimes we get sidetracked, or afraid, or preoccupied with other things. But Paul's words jump off the page and plead with us to do whatever it takes. It doesn't just happen. It requires endurance, perseverance, intentionality. It means walking and living in the power of the Spirit. It's hard. But, Jesus is so worth it. The Gospel is so worth it. Through Christ, God entrusted us (revealed to us) the single, most powerful and life-changing truth in all of history.  That's something we all, as believers in Christ, have in common. We share a common purpose in that our priority is the spreading of the gospel. Our lives were meant to point back to the One who created us. That's purpose.

May I encourage you today? There is no higher purpose than this. What's God asking you to do with your gifts? Here's the thing: No one else can do what God has asked of you the same way that you can do it. He created you and gifted you precisely for what He's asking of you.

What if we, the church, responded to Paul's exhortation to fan into flames our God-given gifts and go with boldness, in love and truth, proclaiming the hope found in Jesus? Yeah, what if we did that.

Stop.

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{I Didn't See THAT coming . . .}

This week I met a woman who was brokenhearted. I knew that she lost her husband a few months ago after a 14 year battle with cancer. I knew that she had recently endured surgery and her recovery was estimated to take up to a year. So, before I arrived, I knew.

Even still, I was not prepared for what happened next.

I was there to walk through her home and provide and estimate for residential house cleaning services. She opened her door and greeted us.  "Hi Mrs. X., I'm Valerie. It's nice to meet you. Thank you so much for having us." She responded kindly, thanking us for coming. Then I asked, "How are you today?" {Sidebar: I cannot tell you how often I have been guilty of asking that question already anticipating that the answer is "Fine, thanks."} I do not know why I asked the question.  It simply rolled out of my mouth before I could stop it.  "How are you today?" 

And, then there were tears. She responded, "I'm not so good today." And, more tears.

Suddenly it dawned on me. (Duh!) This was about much more than an estimate for residential house cleaning service. This was a God-moment. I was there because that sweet woman needed to be reminded that God loves her, he sees her, he is very near and promises to bind up her wounds and heal her broken heart. So, I reminded her.

I walked away from there being reminded myself that God is always working. He is ordering my steps. He is putting people in my path, on purpose. So, I have to remember to slow down. To see. To listen. To be obedient. When I rush through my day with my head down, refusing to see people, I miss opportunities to see God answer a prayer that I've been praying: God, use me. Holy Spirit, work through me so that people see Jesus. 

Let them see Jesus. Always. JESUS.