Finding Purpose
Finding Purpose
Since I was a little girl, I felt that if there was a metaphorical line where God handed out gifts and talents He somehow missed me. Feeling passed over, unseen and unimportant became common place to me and the sentiments only grew as I did. By my late twenties, I had truly surrendered my life to the Lord. I had a career, family, house, was living debt free and yet still felt like I had no purpose and had accomplished nothing significant with my life.
One day I began to pray out of a deep longing, “Lord, how can I be at this stage of my life and still not know what I’m supposed to do with my life?” I immediately heard a response from the Holy Spirit, “You don’t know because it’s too big for you. Your job is to walk through every door I open for you and one day you will wake up and think, “How did I get here?”
At this point, I realized that there are two types of people in the world and I can be both of them depending on the day! The first is the person who knows what God wants them to do with their lives and instead of waiting on God, they run ahead of Him. The second is the person who knows what God wants them to do and it scares them so bad that they run as far away as they can!
These two scenarios are precisely the reason that I believe God chose a different way with me. God’s call on my life isn’t a title, position or something to obtain; He has simply called me to a life of obedience. Through this type of living I’ve learned how to trust God, hear Him, lean on Him and not put my worth in moving targets. I rely on daily bread and at the end of every year, I look back and think, “Wow! I’m so glad I didn’t know that was coming. I would have royally messed it up.”
As I reflect on 2022, I see so many ups and downs, needs and miracles, promises and provisions, hardships and comfort. I think to myself, “Only God!”
In 2022:
· I had Covid, not once, but twice.
· My grandmother went to be with Jesus.
· My oldest daughter started her senior year.
· My youngest daughter transitioned from homeschooling to private school.
· I had friends who were diagnosed with cancer.
· I had the privilege to minister to hundreds of women in the prison.
· After three long years of delay, I went back to Africa to minister to the women in Mozambique.
· My husband and I went on a spontaneous trip to Hawaii to celebrate 19 years of marriage.
· I wrote and released a book!
Thank God I did not know what I would face. I would have been scared of many of these moments, but in God’s kindness, He carried me through the hard times and yoked my steps with His to fulfill the things that were just too big for me to accomplish on my own.
As much as I love to plan, I’m ok with not knowing what’s next. In fact, it’s none of my business what God wants to do with me and through me.
So 2023, I’m up for the adventure. I don’t have a word for the year, I live by the Word of God, my daily bread who has sustained me in and through it all. I receive the call of obedience and say, “Yes, Lord send me.”
I pray your 2023 is filled with the best kind of obedient adventures!
XO,
Celeste
Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV)
Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.
