Purpose is Right Here

I had said to a friend once when the topic of feeling like they were floating in life and not sure what their purpose is, that he’s not missing it. This is his purpose. To be alive. To breathe in and breathe out. To love and be loved. To know God and be known by God. This is it. We cannot miss our purpose. I think so many people struggle to find their purpose in life, me included, precisely because we are looking for it. No matter how hard we look, we will not find our purpose outside of our very lives as they are. This is it. Right here. You cannot miss it. While listening to Barbara Brown Taylor’s book An Altar in the World, I loved how she shares a story where she went to ask God what she was to do with her life. She was struggling with this need to know her purpose and deeply felt God say back to her.

Do anything that pleases you & belong to me.

How beautiful. Do anything that pleases us. Anything. Is what you’re doing today pleasing to you? Do you feel like you belong to God, like you’re God’s beloved child? Is your life enjoyable? Then friend, you’re good. We are good. This for me is freeing. I forget my purpose probably daily and it hurts. Look at my strengths and you’ll find Achiever at the top of the list. I’m constantly doing things, seeking more to achieve and complete and perform and still needs done next. This is great when I’m healthy and enjoying the drive I have. It’s crippling when I think I have to, am supposed to, or am not doing enough, not using my gifts, not… Fill in the blank. Any gremlin of a voice that whispers to you you’re missing it. That voice isn’t truth. The truth is, we are made solely to love and be loved. To love this one life. To feel God loving us. To love God back. To live from such safety in the world because we know we can’t fail in God’s Love. Are we loving? Do we feel loved? That’s it. So today, if you are struggling to find your purpose, if you feel like you’re not enough and you don’t know what your life should be about, let me assure you, it’s ok. You’re OK. You’re exactly where you are, and where you are is a place your purpose can be lived out. You are loved. You are valuable. God is so pleased with you being on the earth. You can love others like you love yourself in this space, this moment, this present season. May we all take moments out of our days to pause and remember this gift – that life is not a burden, it’s a gift created to experience Love. May we all spend time gazing into God’s grace and embrace so we can walk with it around us through every circumstance. May we believe that we can do anything we want that feels like it’s pleasing to us and allows us to stay in this belonging Love of God. May we all realize our lives, our souls, and our personhood is saturated with purpose. Every. Single. Breath. Go enjoy life. Go be brave and do what feels pleasing. Go discover how deeply you belong here. Grace & Peace.

Little Extras

I needed this post. This is something I struggle with and get so caught up in. Something that Richard Rohr and others like Martha Beck has taught me is gazing at and soaking in the simplicity of the lives of animals. They can’t not honor and glorify God. Sometimes I just need to pause, breathe and feel my breath, and watch my kitty Ellie do her thing – content to achieve nothing and just enjoy life. That picture if her simply loving whatever is outside the window that caught her attention. Recently I listened to Rob Bell and Kristen Bell’s The Zimzum of Love and really think they have such wise words to say about relationships. The RobCast continues to be a favorite. Each week I try to upload a new podcast for you – for anyone that needs a little more peace, grounding, perspective and hope in their lives and faith. I don’t know where my brand YogaBreathePray will continue to unfold into, but I am grateful for what I’ve been able to offer so far to anyone like who needs a little more grace and rest in their lives. You can listen to YogaBreathePray on iTunes, SoundCloud, or Patreon. I’m re-reading Anatomy of the Soul by Curt Thompson and listening to it again to prepare for my next book club on it. It is so so helpful for me to understand how everything from why I do or don’t feel connected to God somedays to how emotions work. I highly recommend it. Until next time friends… Thanks for reading!