[BreeChick]

The last 3..yes ! months oh boy it's getting on 4! I've been working slowly through the Purpose Driven Life. It's been tough and I've had so many realizations along the way. There's been times that I had to take nearly 2 weeks to work through one of the chapters because there were just too many "ah hah!" moments that I had to let process.

Last night at the end of chapter 29 I had one of those moments again and it's made me hit that standstill where I have to really really think on this. I am always trying to figure out what my purpose is and what am I supposed to be doing, what is the meaning to my life, etc questions.

There was a heading for a paragraph that simply said:
"You are going to give your life for something"
My daughter and I had just watched "Freedom Writers" Last night and so that thinking was already there. What will be that something and does it HAVE meaning at all. On that same note from 2 years ago the Pastor at the church I went to said in a sermon "what legacy will you leave behind?"

There's got to be meaning and somehow knowing you won't be forgotten, you know? Will my life touch many in a positive way and will that be a service to God or is it serving ME?

--bree

[DocSanae]

Originally Posted by BreeChick

There's got to be meaning and somehow knowing you won't be forgotten, you know? Will my life touch many in a positive way and will that be a service to God or is it serving ME?

--bree

I think it's both. Whatever you do, if you do it sincerely and with good thought for others, it is serving God, and in the end will help you, too. If you touch others in a positive way, they will be able to pass that on to more people. Just like the ripple in the pond. That's how the truest words spread. From person to person, deed to deed.
What goes around comes back.

My father died early last summer, and many people who had worked as his subordinates came to his wake and funeral. That in itself was gratifying, as he had retired from his last place of work 15 year before, and it was 20 years since he changed to there, and people from even the place before came. I had the chance to talk to those who had worked with him 20 years ago. They had so many good memories to share. They called themselves, "Graduates of the Kawada (my maiden name) School" and what he had shown/taught them was still of use to them.
The people who had worked for him at his last place of work insisted on helping with the wake and funeral, assisting with the reception line, and taking care of details that our family was too busy to take care of ourselves. It was gratifying to know that he has left a mark on those he worked with, and that he will be living in their memories, not just ours. It also reinforced my thought that even though we may not be commended or recognized for our work by others face to face, or while we are alive, we still need to be honest with our deeds and do our best. You never know what will come from where, and, of course, God always knows.

[katygirl]

Hi, thanks for posting your thougths. I am new and am still early stages of pre-op. I worked thru the Purpose Driven Life twice. You are smart to take your time in working thru it. God is right there with you. Your reflections are a lot like my own. What do I stand for, how will people remember me. Will it glorify God or me? I don't want to be remembered as a out of shape, bitter, lonely fat person. And more importantly, God has created all of us for a higher purpose than that. But sometimes, like me, we get lost along the way with the cares of this world. (Success is what it is all about, money, food is my best friend, be the perfect mother and wife, etc). I am also trying to slow down and listen when God is trying to get my attention with those "ah ha" moments. God's promise is to continually work in us to make us better. Not just on the outside, but on the inside where it really counts in the long run. That's why I want have this surgery because I want my life to be more than my love affair with food. It has controlled my life for too long and I know that God has a bigger plan for me but I have to deal with this weight/health issue now. Well, sorry if I was rambling, but it feels nice to open up about my problem with food. Thanks for listening

Drema