The Day We Are Born and the Day We Discover Why

Lieutenant General Russel Honore appeared on a talk show the other night and made a thought-provoking comment. Basically, he said that there are two very important days in each of our lives--the day we are born and the day we discover a reason for our existence. As a Christian, certainly I would add a third day--the day we come to know Jesus. Honore, as we remember, was the take-charge guy who went into New Orleans after hurricane Katrina, organized the people and the priorities, and essentially helped to shorten the chaos taking place within the city. It was at that time, he said, that he learned his purpose in life. Since then he has been traveling the country, giving motivational speeches, and urging citizens to prepare themselves in case of another national crisis. I have been thinking about my purpose since I saw his interview.

As we think about our legacies as we age, we tend to use the usual criteria to measure how well we have done in this life--producing children who grow up to be good citizens and caring individuals, producing a creative work that will live on after we are gone, asking ourselves if the work climate we were in during our careers was improved during the time we contributed to it, and again, as Christians, measuring our contribution to the lives of others.

Overall, I feel good about my life after a couple of years in retirement and reflection. I was privileged to give birth to a fine son and daughter who care about the lives of others and who are creative. Our daughter has just produced her first documentary, Testimony, and is currently at work on her second, Panhandler. Both of these pieces reflect real life issues from her life, i. e. the struggle she personally had to come out and her interest in the homeless (her grandfather was homeless all of his adult life). Though it is early, perhaps these films are the purpose for which she was born. Our son also is creative and caring. His strength from the beginning of his life has always been to be a friend to all, never picking and choosing who was worthy to be his friend but caring for all. He is a great writer and will likely nurture this aspect of his personality in future years.

As far as my creativity, I was privileged to produce two books three years ago that reflected not only my own spiritual journey through this life but also the journeys that my grandmother, mother, and daughter have undergone. While we sold a few hundred copies, it was not on Amazon's best seller list. Nevertheless, I feel it was my purpose in life to write my story to leave not only for my family after I am gone but for the people who read it and found it valuable. I have heard from many who told me it helped them in one way or another.

Our careers are likely the least satisfying of ways to measure our purpose but important anyway, especially if we chose a career that helps others, not the bottom line. I think of my niece Susie who has given her talent and time in recent years to help African-American boys succeed in school. She works in Ft. Worth at a place called Hope Farms. This summer she is making a trip to Zambia to help children there in an orphanage. I believe Susie is fulfilling her purpose.

For the final criterion, God only can determine whether we have achieved His purpose for our lives. We can hope only to look at those around us, listen sympathetically to their stories, and offer assurance that life does have purpose if we will look for it carefully.