A Jewel called Purpose

The very elderly man was still in bed and it was nearly noon. His son walked into the bedroom and knew that something had to be done.

“Dad, get up! We brought fantastic food. It will be a feast!”

Depression has always been a choking wet blanket of darkness. Those who insisted that they never had such a spiritual fight only needed to just wait a bit. The musician’s saying: “ya gotta be at least in yer forties before ya kin play da blues” awaited them. The sound of children laughing in the sun brightened main room nearby, carried into the dark bedroom with curtains drawn.

“I don’t want to get up. I am tired.”

“Tired? Dad, it is nearly noon!”

“Just let me be.”

The son had to pull out all stops to motivate his father so he resorted to doing an age-old family “guilt” tactic. 

“Dad, your name holder is here! Do you want him to see you moping around like this? And the girls are asking where their Opa is.” (Opa is the German word for grandpa.)

The son opened the bedroom curtains to highlight his point.

The son was being a bit rude. He also was a bit unfair. The elderly man’s grandson was named after him and Opa was quite proud of that. Also his granddaughters had absolutely stolen his heart. To the son’s defense though, he really wanted to see his dad laughing and joking with the family. The son’s strategy worked.

With a new sense of purpose the very elderly man got out of bed, brushed his teeth, combed his hair and tottered into the main room to be literally and joyously swept up. For the record, Opa thoroughly enjoyed the impromptu family party in his honor. Everyone stayed up much too late that night because the family was visiting for the weekend in the large, old farmhouse. The laughter, the cooking, everyone cleaning and the constantly tended wood stove that chased winter chill away, brought life, beautiful life. So a very elderly man laughed much and hated to see the grandchildren leave at the close of the weekend.

Sometimes Opa’s life could best be described as a beautiful dancer with a million different variations to her performance. Some dances were bright and hopeful. Some dances were slow and sad. She danced solemnly for Opa in his darkened bedroom. Was she crying over a tragedy? Only Opa knew. Life danced excitedly, with great energy for the grandkids. Promise… that was the best word to describe the dance for them. Life happily twirled for them while they giggled. 

Life has always danced for all of us. Sometimes a cord tangled her foot and she fell down. It hurt but she still got up and danced. It was the getting back up that was crucial here. Sometimes Life’s dance could be most wretched. She often danced for Opa in rain soaked, scorched and grimy, trench warfare dirt, festooned with freezing rain and snow. Dear buddies were lost and hope hung by a thread where Life often fell down in that place but still she would determinedly get back up again, and again, and again. What was the force that got her to get back up? In fact for some of us, Life wouldn’t get back up to continue dancing. This was the greatest of losses since Life had so much to give, like staying in a darkened bedroom while laughter and a feast waited in our honor just beyond the door.

A true miracle happened years ago when Life found a treasure in the mud of Opa’s life. It sparkled like the jewel that it was.

“What is this?”

She bent to pick it up and it immediately, gently seemed to whisper  to her.

“Hello my love” it seemed to say.

Love? Truly? With the jewel in her grasp it somehow gave Life strength, warmth, energy. The best description that came to mind about the found jewel was the word “purpose.” Now with this jewel of love, Life could dance on. Sometimes Purpose’s energy came directly into the veins to empower on the spot. Sometimes the energy was like aging a fine wine, taking much too long before enjoyment but just the knowledge that it was on the shelf made any wine steward smile. Somewhere in Opa’s mind he remembered getting loving purpose power from his Bible. That strength worked throughout life though grandchildren laughing in the next room certainly helped out. Getting old often was one reason that he temporarily lost Purpose but the jewel persisted in being found again and being better than any energy pill. PURPOSE! 

There have been people in all of our lives that knew what they were going to do with their life from the very beginning but their ranks were few. Most of our life dances meandered hither and yon like a squirrel looking for peanuts. This could best be described as having no purpose. However, as long as life danced we all had a purpose somewhere. PURPOSE! The Bible is a very good place to find it in.

Jeremiah 29:11. “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”