The Purpose Driven Life

When I was in high school, one of my best friends name was Jeff Smith.  I went to Wheeling high school and he went to Buffalo Grove.  He was two years younger than me.  He loved to work on cars and I hated the mere thought of getting greasy.  We used to go everywhere together.  Whenever he had the chance, he would open the hood of my car and look for things to improve.

One day, I asked him what he wanted to do with the rest of his life.  He said he wanted to marry his childhood sweetheart, have three boys and be a mechanic at the gas station across from his high school.   I remember going home and talking to my Mom how short sighted he was.  I wanted to travel all over the world, become famous, and live in a castle with a maid, butler and gardener.

Today I am in awe of how noble Jeff Smith is.  He married and is still married to his childhood sweetheart.  God blessed his request and granted him three incredible sons.  He worked as a mechanic at the gas station across from his high school for several decades.  Since then he accepted a lucrative offer as the manager and lead mechanic at the Harley dealership on Rand Road. 

My friend Judy Wu Geerdes moved to Washington D.C. and then to Michigan to study at Rob Bell's church.  Judy is one of my best friends and the best ministry partner I ever have served with.  They were studying Rick Warren's book, The Purpose Driven Life.  After being in Michigan and studying for a year, Judy understood that her purpose driven life is to be a wife and a mother.  God answered her prayers and Judy is now married to a wonderful man and has two beautiful sons.

Jeff and Judy will forever be a part of me.  Although I do not see them anymore, they both have taught me a life lesson.  One of the most important lessons I need to learn in life is to have a purpose driven life.  Hopefully, with prayer and study, God will reveal to me my purpose driven life.

What is the point of living if one has no purpose?