My Why

When I was a little girl, I have vivid memories of people pouring into my
life. Grandpa Adolf was always interested in me, asking me about my day when I
was just a 6 or 7 year old. He gave me lemon drops for little bits of
information, he hugged me tight, he watched me cartwheel and I knew he loved
me. In 5th grade I had the BEST teacher. Everyone wanted to be in his class. I
remember that year he had a student teacher from a different country, England
maybe, and that teacher told me he wanted to bottle my smile and take it back
to Europe! That was the day I gained a piece of my identity; I’ve never stopped
smiling. I had coaches in gymnastics and dance team that made me strong and a
leader. In college, I had a professor in my one bible-like class at the most
liberal school ever…who taught me that I get to have my very own relationship
with Jesus and just because there are different opinions about who He was,
didn’t mean that I couldn’t think critically and relationally about the one I
called my Savior. He gave me courage to have my own convictions and own them I
worked at camp fresh out of college and Andrea Scofield, camp director, was
integral in encouraging me to be a grown woman who is unique and capable and a
helper of people. The list goes on.

So, now in the second half of my life I’m contemplating my why? Why am I
here? What do I value most? Why do I do what I do? What will I do with it? The
answer is very important to all of us because it defines our passion and
purpose and becomes our driving force and mission in life.

As you can imagine, my trip to Slovenia highlighted many of my why’s and has
caused me to put some definition to it and seek to accomplish it with renewed vigor!

I found that there are people out there that need what I have to share but more importantly there are people that have what I need to be who I’m called to be. This has really been how its always been but it was highlighted during this time away in a different culture, with complete strangers and God used it in big ways.

 

Our why is our compelling higher purpose that inspires us and acts as thesource of all we do.

I love Jesus. He’s my compelling why. God created this world and Jesus redeemed it. He gave his all for those who knew him, those who would know him and those who didn’t care about him. There was no discrimination. We didn’t need to come to the table with anything. He just did and he continues to do itall! So, my why is directed by my Savior. I will follow in his footsteps.

I’m a people helper. Coming alongside people in their joys, challenges and
heartache is something I’ve done consistently for the past 30 years. It is part
of my DNA. I’m drawn to community and comradery. The time I spend discipling
others may start by the other person seeking help from me, but I’ve almost
always found it to be mutually edifying, as the word says “Iron sharpens
Iron”. The one-anothering of life is real. This is what inspires me.

I’ve lived some life. Through a difficult marriage, divorce, bankruptcy,
child-rearing, difficult churches, building a business, managing people,
navigating lawsuits, you name it, God has used it to get me to my why. During
those times I needed wise others to show me the way. I needed encouragers to
lift me up. I needed to not be alone. Through these things I learned that God
was enough. That trusting Him was most important and that He alone holds my
time and my livelihood. It has been through these experiences that I found my
why of what I will do.

My why is for Jesus and for people. In Christ our lives and hearts are changed,
and people need this. We need renewed hope and restored grace. My why for
everything I do is to honor Christ and to lead others toward peace. Bringing
hope and directing them to restoring their identity in grace. The core of my
being is to live this out in all I do, in business, in life, it is my mission

What will I do with this why? More to come on that.

What is your why?