Barnett really helped me solidify my thoughts on choosing to serve in Cambodia. He caused me to examine my passions and seek the road God has set for me. In a chapter entitled, The Reason to Get Out of Bed (don’t we all need that, at times?), Barnett says,
Surveys tell us that tens of millions of people – nearly half of all adults – admit they are still seeking to understand the meaning and ultimate purpose of their lives. Research confirms that a huge majority of people – more than three out or every four adults – say they want to make a difference in the world; they want their lives to count for some lasting, positive outcome. But the statistics further point out that most people hold on to that hope as something they may experience in the future; it is not a present reality for them.
What is this information saying? Many of us have not yet found the cause that will genuinely fulfill our lives.
He goes on to say that God plants many things in us, from the beginning, and one of them is a “great cause” he wants us to take. I don’t know if I agree completely, but I do believe God has given us a desire to experience love, inclusion, and control.
A thought from my Speech Communication days has always stuck with me. Schutz stated that we all have three interpersonal needs. We have a need for affection, inclusion, and control. These three needs may not be met by ones self. We need others to satisfy those needs. I would take it a bit farther: We also have a need to show affection, include others, and be controlled. These “needs” may be what Barnett is talking about.
God has set these basic needs in me, from birth. To achieve real fulfillment, I have to dig them out and see how I can best serve Him, as I meet those needs for myself – and others.
Hopefully, these ramblings will make sense to you, and cause you to consider God’s plan for your life. If not, just pretend they did. Then, spend time considering God’s plan. Ponder your calling. Examine yourself, to find your cause.
Remember, causes do not always easily reveal themselves. Sometimes, causes take time to mature. The key is to keep searching. I have to think about my own experience. My road to this cause was not obvious, as I worked through it. I had a life teaching. It was great. It prepared me for administration, which in turn set me to working in Admissions. Admissions involved advising international students. I received an opportunity to move from Tennessee to California (not one I ever thought about!!). My Pepperdine job sent me to Southeast Asia. The recruitment work allowed me to learn more about the people, culture, and yes, the food. I soon learned I had a heart for the people of Southeast Asia. One day, I am watching a documentary on the sex trafficking of children in Cambodia, and the next think I know, I find an ad for Manager of the Ship of Life. I am confident this was all part of God’s plan – it was my “cause” being developed, refined, and revealed.
God has a plan for each of us. He has given us a cause. Have you found yours?
Through the great sovereignty of God he has led you both, by choosing you paths and shaping your hearts, with all of it's passions to and for,'such a time as this'. May he continue to bless the desires of you heart, that he shapes within you.
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