Why am I here?

It is, perhaps, a question that each of us ponders at some time in our lives. We may look back on our lives and reflect on the choices we made, the paths we chose to take that led us to where we find ourselves today.

Along the way, we might also wonder – “Does God have a purpose for my life?”

Most of us can look back on our lives and wonder if a purpose lies ahead of us, or have we already fulfilled God’s purpose for us. Or, even more disturbing, am I just another placeholder in the mix of humanity. Do I even have a purpose?

If we expand our vision on this issue, we would be overwhelmed by the enormous possibilities presented by the world population at any moment. Does God have an assignment for every human being? How do we know when our assignment is completed? Does this mean we don’t have free will?

The best example I can propose is from my own life’s experience.

I described in a previous message how I came to console a church pastor who had lost his son to suicide. What I didn’t describe is the circumstances that put me in a place to serve that purpose.

As a life-long resident of the Chicago area, I had become dissatisfied with a lifestyle of such a congested area. At one point my wife and I moved to Houston, Texas to escape that lifestyle. What I didn’t anticipate was the possibility that my wife would miss her family so much that living in Texas became unbearable. After a year, we ended up moving back to Chicago.

A number of years later, I once again decided to relocate to another area. This time, I chose to move to Minnesota, because my wife had family there – reducing the possibility of another episode of homesickness.

It was in Minnesota that I became an unintentional participant in the events surrounding the pastor’s son’s death.

Looking back on the sequence of events that allowed me the opportunity to provide comfort to a man who had devoted his life to serving God, I can only wonder if that one moment was my purpose on earth.

It would appear that the choices I made were mine to make out of my free will. But that doesn’t eliminate the possibility that God orchestrated the circumstances that led to my decisions. Perhaps He placed opportunities in my path, yet still allowed me to make the choice. Perhaps, if I had made a different choice, He would have given the opportunity to serve to another person.

If we have a Creator, and if He gave us free will, that doesn’t mean He gave up the right to influence us. Perhaps finding our purpose in life is merely being open to God’s influence and being open to opportunities to serve each other.