Earlier this week I was cleaning out my inbox and I came across an email from myself with a catchy title— Unyielding Purpose—dated September 21, 2015. This was right around the time I began writing A Mindful Journey. It was perfect timing for me to re-read my own words—hear my own thoughts.
This writing is still relevant and applicable to so many things going on today. Whether you are chasing a dream—or struggling during difficult times.
Our purpose unfolds before us like the layers of an onion. Just as our purpose has layers, God also gives us what we need to carry out our purpose in the right time.
As I was putting together a book shelf—which took me 4 hours and reminded me how much I need to work on my patience—I was reminded of a few lessons I could apply to my life.
The hardware and materials needed to put the shelf together was separated by steps. So, as you would follow the plan to build the bookshelf, the tools and supplies needed to complete each step were provided and separated for you. If we would have all the tools and supplies all together without the organization of having them separated, the task at hand may seem overwhelming. Everything laid out before you may seem like an impossible task to accomplish and the sense of not knowing where to begin may occur. We start to get ahead of ourselves thinking we know which pieces belong in certain places and start doing things on our own accord instead of following the plan.
This is how God uses us to complete His will and pursue our purpose and passion. If everything was laid out before us all at once, we would not know where to begin and may get lost along the way. Thinking we know best and not following the plan we think we are on the right track, only to find out as the pieces come together that not everything is lining up appropriately.
When we Trust in His plan and use the tools He gives us as our purpose unfolds, we are better equipped to handle the challenges that come our way in pursuing His will.
Even though the plan sits right in front of us and we have all the right tools, make no mistake, we still have to build the shelf. We still have to labor. We still have to use intelligence to follow the steps appropriately. We still have to keep the discipline to see the task finished completely.
It will not come easy.
It may take time.
We may have setbacks.
But the Maker knows what the final outcome will be and will guide us along the way. As we become ready, he will yield to us the proper tools needed along the way to help uncovering the layers of our purpose.
Each step is there, waiting for us to to open and begin working with diligence.
The first steps are usually the hardest, as we do not have a clear vision of what is to come. That is when we have to trust the most. The beginning steps are what set the foundation. Once the foundation is set and the shelf starts to come together, the vision of what is to come becomes a little clearer and we have a better understanding of what it is we have to do next. Even though we have a sense, it is still best to trust and follow the plan and trust in the Makers guidance.
At the end of the day when we finish putting the shelf together, we will then see how the master plan all fell into place. How every step along the way was significant in the building of the shelf. We then see, that if we skip steps, we will most likely have to backtrack and complete whatever it was that we overlooked. Everything has meaning. Everything has purpose. The slightest detail can throw off the entire piece. Sometimes we have to take a step back to see the entire piece, to see what it is that is throwing us off. All it takes is a slight adjustment to get things back in order again and we can continue building.
Once it is completed, we see that every step was important to build and complete the shelf. We marvel at the work we accomplished with our own hands—but give thanks and praise in knowing that it is not something we could have done on our own.
Our work is never truly done. We then look for the next shelf to build and continue on to the next project using the wisdom and knowledge to build an even grander shelf that stands out in the world.
Now that A Mindful Journey is about one month away from release, I can now see how everything has come together for the master plan. Hindsight provides clear vision most of the time.
One shelf is complete—and I am sure another awaits me in the future.
What shelf are you currently working on?
Keep working.
Keep building.
Keep pursuing.