The Purpose of Life

There is no purpose.

Doesn’t that seem kind of depressing? Like a bad fortune cookie message. I don’t mean to alarm or depress you, but really, I don’t think there is A purpose to life.

I think

life is the purpose.

Every single day. All those breaths you take. All those smiles you share. And yes, the ones you don’t. The angry words you stifle. Or not.  The times you’ve been in love and felt that soaring feeling just because the person crossed your mind. And the heartbreaks too. Those times when you see the blue sky and sun shining and wonder how that can be possible when inside, it is dark and scary. The times you blew it at work so bad you seriously thought about leaving the country. The times your success was so big, why didn’t they name a building after you? The times you dance with your toddlers because they pee-peed in the big potty. The times you lost it and yelled at them just like your mother yelled at you (even though you said you would never yell at your own kids like that.) The time you cut your Grandfather’s hair not knowing it would be his last hair cut ever. The time you bathed your Grandmother in the hospital because she was too embarrassed to have the nurse do it. The time you finally stood up to the abusive person in your life and said, “Enough.” The time you stopped the merry go round of chaos and said, “This is not going to be my story anymore.” The time you said, “Let me help you.” And the time you said, “Help me.”

What you are doing right now (Well, after you finish reading this anyway.).

Some Christians will tell you our purpose is to get to Heaven. We’re all just here waiting to go “home”. Um, that seems kind of mean. God created me to simply have me toil away until he sees fit to kill me off? Or others will say we’re here to tell others about Jesus. That doesn’t really pass the logic test either. While I am happy to share (when asked), I find it hard to believe God created all of us to be life insurance reps. Others have this concept of our 1-3 (depending on the test you take) spiritual gifts that we are here to use. This seems a bit chancy to me. What if I missed church the day we took the test? Then I have no purpose? Or what if I don’t take the test till I’m 60? Does that make my whole preceding six decades were a waste?

For the record, I did take the test and I didn’t like the results. Honestly, the profile that came back seemed a bit like a horoscope to me. And while it was enjoyable and interesting to read, I didn’t feel like I’d finally found my reason for living.

So, I’ve decided that God created us to live. And he gave us some great ideas on how to do that well. And sometimes we get it just right. Other times we screw it up so badly it seems like it’s never going to be right again.

And then it is.

And then it isn’t.

And then, oh good, (whew) it is.

And so it goes.

And at the end, it isn’t so much an end as moving into another phase. And all we did or didn’t do isn’t a waste because our legacy is what we share with others. The love we give them. The lessons we give them. The laughter. And then more love. Sometimes our legacy might be some tears, but I don’t see that as a waste either. For some I know, their legacy is an example for me of how not to do it.

Life is the purpose.

I do suggest doing it purposefully.