Every year, about the time of my birthday, I think about my life. Am I serving the Lord to the best of my ability? Is there more that I can do for Him and His kingdom? The answer is always “Yes!”
Finding Inspiration in Legacy: A Reflection at a Funeral
When I was in ministry school in 2006, we were sent to South Carolina to do drama ministry at a Youth Rally. While there, we also visited our friend’s family and attended his grandmother’s funeral service. Her funeral service happened to be on my birthday. Most people would think how strange it would be to go to a funeral on their birthday. However, all I could think about was the legacy that my friend’s grandmother left behind. She lived to be 93 years old, and she died on her birthday. So many people looked at her as a light to the community. She would tell others about Jesus without any hesitation and was compared to the Proverbs 31 woman. Going to that funeral put a fire in me that day, to live a life with more purpose.
Transitioning Roles: From Ministry to Motherhood
My friend’s grandmother’s funeral ended up being one of the best birthdays that I have ever had. Later that day, we did the drama ministry at the Youth Rally. It felt great to do the Lord’s work on my birthday. I was not living life for myself; I was living my life for God. At that time in my life, I was doing full-time ministry. I wasn’t married then. Instead, I was completely focused on serving the Lord. Today, I am married, and I have a son. I am currently a homeschool mom and I take care of the home. Sometimes, I look back and think about all the ministry that I once did. I still try to be a light to my friends and family. However, there is so much more that I want to do.
Aspirations for Impact: Influencing the Next Generation
I want to influence this generation to seek God for their lives. When you seek God, you will find Him when you seek Him with all of your heart (Jeremiah 29:13). I also want to do more service for those that have physical and spiritual needs. “Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.” James 1:27 NKJV
A Call to Action: Seeking God’s Purpose
What do you think about whenever your birthday comes around? Do you think about what you accomplished that year or what you could have done differently? I want to encourage you to seek God for His purpose in your life. Jeremiah 29:11 says, “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.”
Navigating Distractions: Staying Focused on the Divine
It is easy to get distracted and to become complacent. This is especially true with all the drama that life can bring. Family drama, social drama, the world’s problems, the list goes on and on. That is why it is important to focus on the things that are above as much as possible (Colossians 3:1-2 and Philippians 4:8).
Dear Heavenly Father,
Please help us all today to live our lives with a purpose. Guide us and lead us into the path of righteousness, for your name’s sake. Help us to surrender our thoughts and our desires to You. Help us to not be complacent and take You for granted. Give us wisdom and understanding to help others and to be a light to our community. You are our treasure, and you do all things right! Blessed be the name of Yahweh for now and forevermore, in Jesus’s name. Amen!
“Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6 NKJV