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Welcome to Stuff I Learned Yesterday. My name is Mandy Wichert, my favorite fall Thanksgiving in a cup drink isn’t pumpkin spice from Starbuck’s – its goguma latte – an amazing sweet potato drink sprinkled with chopped pecans. If you haven’t tried one…I think you should probably run/not walk to your local tea shop and request one – stat, and I believe if you aren’t learning you aren’t living. In today’s episode of Stuff I Learned Yesterday we’re continuing our discussion on Purpose inspired by your Friday Forum submissions!
Friday Forum
I want you to be a part of the Friday Forum! Friday Forum is your opportunity to Share what YOU’VE learned, so that other listeners can learn from YOU. It can be a message as short as 30 seconds or several minutes long. It really doesn’t matter just as long as it’s something that will benefit others. You can participate in Friday Forum by visiting our Feedback Page or calling our voice feedback line at 304-837-2278.
Here’s What I Learned Yesterday:
On the playground at soccer practice the other evening, my daughter met a new friend. She was one of Jonas’ teammates younger sisters, and because I was on playground duty – I was able to overhear their entire conversation. They were not fast friends. In fact, though they played together well, and from a distance seemed to really enjoy each other’s company, their conversation was pretty heated. It started in a very typical, “My dad is stronger than your dad” sort of way. The little girl coolly proclaimed while swinging back and forth from the monkey bars “I am the best at everything!” To which Marin replied, “No, My Bubby is. He’s really good at everything.” I didn’t intervene, because I was enjoying for a moment how highly Marin was speaking of her brother.
Then, the littler girl again repeated her proclamation, that she was the best at everything, to which Marin replied, “ Actually, did you know that everyone is special and good at something? We are all created for different things with different purposes.” The little girl said, “Yeah! I knew that!” and by the end of the night, they were calling each other best friends. Their resiliency and ability to get over their own egos so quickly to become fast friends was impressive and admirable.
As I mentioned last week, purpose has been a hot topic of conversation at our house, thanks to listening to your Friday Forum submissions. I know we don’t all share the same beliefs, and I don’t want to segment this show, the more I stop to think about the lessons I’m learning on a daily basis, the more I realize how difficult it is for me to isolate these concepts without considering their source in my life. My spare time beyond this podcast is almost 100% devoted to Bible study and fellowship. I am only committed to three activities during the week, all of which involve my faith. I mention all of that, simply because the next part of the lesson I learned deals with a Biblical story, so I wanted to give you a head’s up.
This week, I was studying Moses, and how he, a man of supposed “weak character” and lacking eloquent speech, according to the Bible, was spared from the pharaoh’s plan to destroy all firstborn males. Most are probably familiar with the story of how he was placed in a basket among the reeds in the river by his mother, and rescued by the pharaoh’s daughter, to eventually take a place of great acclaim under the pharaoh’s own roof. Not only that, but he was actually providentially nursed and raised by his own mother who was employed to take care of him as the pharaoh’s daughter’s nursemaid – working in a paid position to care for this baby who was actually her own.
Miriam, Moses’ sister actually assisted with making sure Moses was rescued by the Pharaoh’s daughter, and this girl, who was probably only around 8 years old was able to play a vital role in his rescue. Moses, a Hebrew baby, was raised with Egyptian power and prestige, and was said to be “mighty in word and in deed,” and yet he turned away his privileged life to seek God’s council in faith, and became one of the greatest Christian leaders.
He was designed for a purpose. He felt unsuited for this purpose, even arguing with God about not feeling qualified for the role of leadership he’d been bestowed due to his words getting tangled in his mouth, and his previous mistakes, but despite this, the plans for him were great. Despite his being Hebrew and part of the slave-class, he was raised in royalty with the finest education and authority. He committed a horrible sin, murdering a man while attempting to protect his fellow Hebrew people. He was exiled to the desert for 40 years to grow up, and lost & rejected everything earthly he had. He went through so many trials, like we all do – but with faith he was able to face them, and because of his purpose, he was able to carry things through far beyond his own expectations or comfort level.
I just love the story of his purpose and how he was used to deliver his people out of bondage. I also love that he didn’t even know his potential and yet, he lived to be a great leader – late in life.
Along those lines, one of the best men I’ve had the privilege of calling a friend and counselor, Bob, is currently living out what may likely be his final days here on earth. We got this hard news during another friend’s birthday celebration. I am crushed for his family and know that grievance and mourning will be great for this man, but I also know that he is and has been fulfilling his purpose. He is one of the best examples of love, compassion and humility that I have ever seen with my own eyes. His friendly face and laughter are beacons for me every Sunday, and I am heartbroken that he and his family are suffering. I do know that just the way he has been living speak volumes of his purpose and he has been instrumental in many people’s lives. I hope I get to have such a purpose.
Here’s what I learned.
I am, you are, that person sitting next to you in the coffee shop or driving in front of you on your daily commute, or selling wooden figurines to tourists in a hut in Africa – are all part of a greater purpose. We each have to learn our own lessons and will each have unique talents to share, but each of us is vital and important. We may not be well known, or have a clear picture of what our strengths and weaknesses are. But know this, your limitations are not set by who you know, where you were born, what you look like, how much money you have, how old you are or what you did before. We were each created for a purpose. As Darrell mentioned, we will all face struggles and difficult times, but hopefully we will have a hope for our futures and be able to draw encouragement and strength from one-another during hard times. Though we may not always feel important or special – we are.
I’m Mandy Wichert, and this has been Stuff I Learned Yesterday.
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