Finding Purpose

I think every human wants to know that his or her life has a purpose and that s/he is fulfilling that purpose.  A life lived in vain is a life lived in pain.  We wake up.  We go to work (or school).  We come home.  We go to bed.  Sometime within that twenty-four hour period we pay bills and rush to appointments, games and the grocery store.  On a good day, we find time to interact with family members or connect with a friend, but what is the ultimate purpose of a life lived on earth?

I spent fifteen years of my adult life in relentless physical pain, all while trying to raise a family and sustain a career.  Feeling useless and hopeless, I reached a point of wanting to end my life.  Life was not worth living. I wondered how my existence could have any purpose.  I had so many unfulfilled dreams, yet I could barely get up each morning and put one foot in front of the other.  But they were my dreams, not God's plans for me.  After many years of struggle just to exist, I surrendered everything--all the pain and all the dreams--to God.  I surrendered my will to God's will for me.  Ultimately, I asked for just five worthwhile years.  Lo and behold!  Since I uttered that desperate prayer, God has given me twenty wonderful, fulfilling years.

What is life's purpose?  Each person must seek the answer for himself or herself.  As for me, I've discovered that my life's purpose is to serve and glorify God.  Since accepting that purpose, my life has become worth living. That's not to say it is easy or pain-free or without mistakes.  There are challenges, sorrows and frustrations.  As my body ages, there will be more physical pain.  There will be loss and grief.  But I can face it all with courage because I know God is leading me and walking through it all with me.  In finding God's purpose, I have received life's most sought-after gift. Peace.