Divine Purpose

Do you believe we have a divine purpose?

Did you read The Purpose Driven Life?  This book has my favorite first line of a book, “It’s not about you.”

What is it about?

I believe it is about us becoming who we were created to be.  It’s not the same for everyone so there is no stock answer.  We all have our own unique divine purpose. 

Did you ever notice that God gives you what you need when you need it? 

You know how you meet someone and they are in your life for the period of time and then they are gone?  Maybe they move away or maybe you do or maybe you just drift apart.  But you can actually look back and say you know why you needed them at that point you know they taught you something.  You are closer to who you were made to be because of them.

Everyone you meet is an integral part of who you are and who you are becoming.  This is true of everyone in our lives, including our pets. 

I had a dog growing up. His name was Bats which was short for Super Bat Dog! Anyway, he was a great dog and we had him for 13 years.  When he passed away, it was very sad.  A part of our family was gone.  We were changed. 

But when you think about it, we were changed for good.  (Reminds me of the song from Wicked…“Because I knew you, I was changed for good”) We were changed because we had him with us.  He taught us lessons of love, loyalty, spontaneity, and family.  We learned how to care for an animal yes but he taught us lessons on how to care for people too. 

We learned sometimes it’s better to just lay around.  We learned if you feel like jumping in the river, you should.  We learned it’s fun to run in the snow.  We learned when people show up at your house, you should greet them with a LOT of enthusiasm (but you shouldn’t jump on them).  We learned that even when you are bigger and look intimidating (he was a black lab) you still need love and hugs and attention.  

Bats had a divine purpose.  He taught us a lot. He brought us joy.  When he passed, we were sad but we were grateful to have had him in the first place.  He had served his divine purpose. 

My friend has a dog that is sick and she is sad.  She says, “I know it’s only a dog.” But the reality is that’s not how she feels at all.  He’s not “only a dog”, he’s a creature of God with a divine purpose.  She says he came along at the right time for her family.  I have no doubt.  He had a purpose, he fulfilled it and now it’s time to go home.  That’s an awesome thing.  Wouldn’t it be great if we could see our lives that clearly?  We came, we served our purpose, we went home to God.  

Dogs and other animals remind us of simplicity and the joy of life.  They remind us that we don’t need much…just love and food and attention. Their role in creating us to be who we are is profound.  Of course we will miss them.  But because of them, we are changed for good. 

To change people for good…that’s a divine purpose, don’t you think?