A Purpose in Every Season

There was one thing that I was really worried about when I switched from my teaching job to working for FAST. Would I feel a sense of purpose? In teaching, having a purpose is pretty easy. Teaching at a Christian school made that even easier. It was my job to teach the students about math, science, history, and most importantly, having a relationship with Christ. 

Over the past 18 months, God has reminded me that my purpose doesn’t just have to be found at work. Sometimes it’s found in the way that we live our daily lives. I’ve always believed that God uses people in every aspect of their life. I’ve also found that that story from my own life hasn’t always been clearly shown to me. I’ve spent a lot of time feeling like I’m not actually making a difference in people’s lives. 

God knows our hearts though. He knows that my love is great for other people and that I want to point more people to Him. The last week has been a reminder that our labor is not in vain. The seeds that we plant do eventually grow. Sometimes we don’t get to see the end product, but sometimes we do. Sometimes it’s not even the end product, but it is simply just a step in the journey that will last a lifetime. 

Back in the fall, I was texting one of my college roommates because I was having a pretty hard week. I honestly don’t really remember what was happening I just remember texting her, “I have a co-worker who has no idea what a true friend looks like in life.”

Now it’s July, and God reminded me of that conversation with my college friend back in the fall. The same friend who I said “has no idea what a true friend looks like” wrote a blog post. Her exact words were, "I never knew what friendship meant until I met Caryn..."

You see how crazy this is right? What a wonderful God we serve who would be willing to use someone like me to touch another person’s life.  Our purpose in life might look a little different in life depending on the season, but one things always remains the same: Love the people in your life, no matter what. You never know how far your impact will reach and the lives you might touch. 

If my only purpose in this season in South Carolina is to teach my new friend what friendship is, then that is definitely enough for me.