Psalm 138

“The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever. Do not forsake the work of your hands.” vs. 8

We like to believe that we have a purpose in life, and some of us spend a lifetime trying to figure out exactly what that is. Many wander aimlessly as though in a maze, trying first one thing and then another, hoping to perhaps stumble on their reason for being. The psalmist too believed that he had a purpose, but he doesn’t seem to have worried about it. Instead he patiently waits, trusting that his Creator’s purpose would be fulfilled. That’s not easy to do, particularly when for some reason or another we have an elevated sense of purpose, that we and we alone are God’s gift to humanity. We forget that life is communal and that our purpose will be found in the context of community. It’s as we put our gifts at the service of the body, that we find our niche and our satisfaction. And we don’t necessarily get to pick our purpose. The community knows our gifts and will lovingly make a place for us. Occasionally that can be a humbling experience, especially when we have an exalted sense of what we have to offer. It’s hard to be an appendix when we think we’ve called to be the brains of the outfit! When we’ve thought of “standing out” as our purpose, it’s hard to adjust our thinking to “fitting in,” yet that’s likely exactly what our loving community needs.

Thought for the Day: What’s the Lord’s purpose for me?