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With so many of us seeking God for our purpose in life, is it possible that we are so focused on this grand revelation, that we overlook that God may have a purpose for us ... in the moment!
The winter of 2025 passed by in a flurry of activity. God began opening doors for us to make a major move from one side of Canada to the other. As you may already know, Canada covers a very wide expanse indeed! The reason for the move was clear to me: God wanted my husband and I to live close to one of our sets of kids. And so the frantic packing, selling of our home in Eastern Canada, finding a nursing home for my husband and preparing him for the move, etc. began. This was, after all, God's purpose for us in the moment, right?
Each time I visited my husband, however, and I admit these visits became less frequent for I was far too busy arranging for the big move, I would run into other family members, people who were obviously hurting, grieving the loss of their fathers and spouses to dementia, questioning if the transition to a nursing home was the right move, etc.
I ignored it at first. I was far too busy pursuing my current "purpose". Then one day a spouse saw me leaving in tears and came out. He said some things that really helped me cope, things that I would later say to my kids that would help them cope. Thanks, Lord! You know exactly what I need!
Weeks went by and I continued to ignore the other hurting family members. I simply didn't have the time. God had given me a purpose, and I needed to pursue it! Then one day a lady pulled me aside and introduced herself. She was in tears and she wanted to know how I was managing...
God, what are You doing! I don't have time for this!
After that, however, I started noticing the other families, and I could feel God tugging at my heart, pulling me towards them.
But Lord, I'm so busy with the move! I don't have time...
I suspect King Solomon knew something about what I was feeling. His purpose in life had been outlined for him since before he was born: He was to become David's successor to the throne. His life's purpose was to lead a great people, the special chosen people of God, the kingdom of Israel. Solomon felt very inadequate for this job, he even begged God for wisdom: "And now, Lord my God, You have made Your servant king in place of my father David, yet I am like a little boy; I do not know how to go out or come in. And Your servant is in the midst of Your people whom You have chosen, a great people who are too many to be numbered or counted. So give Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people, to discern between good and evil. For who is capable of judging this great people of Yours?” (1 Kings 3:7-9 NASB)
In the meantime, God also had another, shorter-term purpose for King Solomon: To build the temple: "[God] said to [David], ‘Your son Solomon is the one who shall build My house and My courtyards; for I have chosen him to be a son to Me, and I will be a Father to him.'" (1 Chron. 28:6 NASB).
Hum. What if Solomon had pushed this shorter-term purpose aside in light of the bigger one? God's temple wouldn't have been built, David's dream would never have been realized, and God's short-term purpose would have been thwarted... Wait. Is this not what I was doing in ignoring all of those other hurting family members? I repented, and I began seeking other families who looked like they were hurting.
I hope and pray these interactions helped them, but I have to say that they all benefitted me as well! Because that's how God works! When we pursue His purpose for our lives, He rewards us!
I learned a valuable lesson in all of this: God may have given us a long-term purpose, and we may be—and should be!—going about fulfilling it. But that doesn't mean it is our only purpose. He will continually put people in our path, people that we could potentially help, but we have to be open to realizing that there may be shorter-term purposes for where He has placed us at any one point in time!
Let's all be seek God's in-the-moment purposes for our lives. When we do, God will reward us, and somehow the longer-term purposes will be strengthened as well. The Lord is calling out to us, just as He did to Solomon: "Consider now, for the Lord has chosen you to build a house for the sanctuary (And you can fill your situation in here!); be courageous and act.” (1 Chronicles 28:10 NASB).
In His love,
Lyn
Lynona Gordon Chaffart
Author, Moderator, Acting Director, Answers2Prayer Ministries
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