Often times when working with women, they often question, “What am I here for?”
This question of purpose has surfaced several times over the last few weeks, and I thought perhaps you’ve wondered the same thing, sunshine?
If so, keep on reading. If not, please share your knowledge with me so I can share your wisdom with others.
It is not unusual for people to wonder this. In fact, Pastor, speaker, and author Rick Warren from Saddleback church in California wrote The Purpose Driven Life over a decade ago, and it continues to be the #2 best-selling book of all time. (Fun fact: The Bible is #1.)
While this is a mile-deep question, it is one near and dear to my heart and has truly been since I left my teaching career in 2013 to begin my busnistry, Shine with Frannie.
People thought (and many still do) think I was crazy to leave my stable and secure job as an independent school administrator to start my own business (of which, I might add, I had NO business experience, education, or training) but I felt God’s prodding and heard His voice telling me it was time to live for Him, not for me and my own desires. (This was and has been a challenge!)
But it was time to step into my purpose.
While I feel I’ve been living my purpose with Shine, I still question God and even get angry, scared, and doubtful at times–that’s when the enemy attacks, and I need recalibrated.
So when a 40-something, successful mom and business woman participating in a women’s retreat I led a few weeks ago tearfully pondered, “Am I here just to be a mom?” my heart melted.
Pretty powerful stuff.
I believe that moms have the some of the world’s greatest responsibilities and often the best rewards, yet I realize that the “job” can be oh-so-tireless, mundane, and thankless, too.
This retreat attendee has been on my heart and in my prayers ever since that day (and I hope she’s reading this today.) I wonder if she realizes the depth of the honor and privilege God has entrusted her with as an earthly mother. It made me wonder if she ever thought of the numerous women who can’t have children, have miscarried a child, or perhaps are in situations where they haven’t found “the one” to make the dream of being a mom a reality.
Then a few days post-retreat, a dear friend of mine shared a great post from a pastor friend of hers, Jermel Dortch on Facebook. He writes:
A tool can be used much more effectively when we know the purpose of it. For example, a spoon was created for eating soup. When that spoon is doing what it was designed to do, it is most useful. However, take that same spoon and use it to cut steak and you will have a great deal of work ahead of you. Eating is going to be much harder, overwhelming and frustrating. As good as the steak is, you can’t enjoy it the way it was meant to be enjoyed.
I thought this was a brilliant explanation of our unique, divine design and a great reminder that there are gifts on the inside of you and God wants to use you for what He created you for. He wants you to do what He’s called you to do.
Sunshine, you are an original, built and designed by God with a specific purpose in His mind, not yours. That is the only thing that perfectly fits you.
Without walking in His purpose for your life, it will be hard, full of toil, frustration, confusion and fear. Don’t fight against it any longer. Instead, seek God for your lane of purpose, then, cooperate with His desire for your life. Ask Him to reveal all of the gifts He’s placed on the inside of you and yield and surrender to Him.
Within your purpose, you will be most effective and fulfilled, and life will be enjoyed the way it was meant it to be.
Share with me how I can support you, dear one. Tweet. Post. Email. Post.
With love for living your purpose,
Frannie