Doing What I Love

When I was in the sixth grade, my Mom would drive my sister and me to school every morning. The year was 1976 and during every trip, without fail, Jerry Wells, infamous morning DJ on WDAS FM in Philly, would play Just To Be Close To You by the Commodores. And every morning, without fail, I would sing to my Mom at the top of my lungs. My favorite part would be emphatically telling her she was, “my purposessssss (Lionel Richie version), my reason for living.” I would go on to yell, “You’re my heart, you're my soul, you're my stoneeeee inspiration, baby!” [I know those of you over 40 are singing with me :-)]

It’s been many years since the sixth grade and I have since learned that my purpose is probably a bit bigger than loving my Mommy [even though she’s still my heart, my soul, and my stone inspiration :-)].

But one thing I have learned is that my purpose cannot revolve around a relationship (i.e., making my mother / husband / child happy).

Just a lesson learned I’m passing on for free.

Here lately, though, I’ve been thinking about my life’s purpose, particularly since I find myself on the back 40 (i.e., on the other side of 45, closer to 50).

Not just what I want to be when I grow up (even though that is a valid question that’s been lurking around for the better part of 30 years) but what was I born to do? Why was I created? What assignment has God given me? Or, here’s a whopper - what would I do for free?

Thank God I’m learning to think bigger than just making ends meet.

I find myself wondering about people who have all the money they need and want.

Since they don’t necessarily have to go to work, per se, how do they determine what to do with each day? Find value, purpose in and with their lives?

Even in this so-called recession, there are people out there living this way and I certainly plan to be one of them.

So the question becomes what would I do with my life, my time, if money was not an issue?

The adage and book title, Do What You Love, The Money Will Follow comes to mind. (The author is Marsha Sinetar, by the way.)

God knows I’ve been chasing money and, even though I have been blessed to continuously earn more over the years, I find that when that’s my focus (i.e., I need more), there never seems to be enough.

But that’s because there IS enough.

Always has been, always will be.

It’s just a matter of perspective.

In her book, How to Let God Help You, author Myrtle Fillmore notes, “…our purpose in life [is to] succeed in bringing forth God’s perfect idea of the perfect man.” She goes on to say, “…it should be our true aim in being to make manifest this perfect Self, or Christ of God, in our lives.”

For me this means God’s perfect idea of me is already embedded in my DNA.

I kinda already know.

It is a longing of my soul that I draw out through conscious connection with God in me, often through prayer.

Spiritual revolutionary Elijah Hakim-Adonijah notes, “Prayer is a conscious effort of the mind to absorb the wanting of the Soul. The real you. Your True Divine Self. This is that which no words at all or any other trivial ritual or repetition is employed. It is a constant meeting of the mind and Soul.”

My life, then, becomes a prayer that goes a little like this: get in the flow of life, and all these things will be added, i.e., more than enough money to share and to spare.

Or, as my Bible scholars know, “Seek ye first the Kingdom of God, and His (or Her – my addition) righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you.” (Matthew 6:33 King James Version)

One of my spiritual sheroes - Mrs. Ollie Williams (love her!) - once pointed me to this definition of the Kingdom of God (also in the Bible):  “The Kingdom of God is not a matter of what we eat or drink, but of living a life of goodness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 14:17 New Living Translation)

See? There goes that flow again – the flow of the Spirit of God which is in all and through all and is definitely always holy.  A synonym for the Kingdom of God, which is in me.

Little ole me and you.

So this week’s meanderings through my heart, mind, and soul yield this precious morsel:  my purpose is to seek that conscious connection with the God in me. Everything else is gravy.