It’s marred and unseemly… but it still functions.
These words will haunt me for awhile. When I got up at 4:30, I really didn’t want to get moving. But my life has mission and purpose. So I got up and got prepared for the morning commute.
Everything was progressing to plan until I went to disconnect my phone from the charger. Alas, there was no phone there. I worried that I might have left the phone at Cheddars last night. But I dismissed that thought and proceeded to hunt the phone down. I called my mobile phone from the house phone. After three or four rings, I heard the phone vibrating. I chased down the sound.
When I found the phone, I was disheartened. The phone was in my wife’s chair in the family room. The protective case was utterly destroyed. And the phone itself has scratches and bite marks. Apparently, my 19 year old son’s 75 pound puppy had decided that my phone was a chew toy. He had disconnected my smartphone from the wall and carried it to the family room while I was asleep.
I was furious. Since everyone else was asleep, I restrained the urge to utter a primal scream. I settled myself and finished preparing for the morning commute. Then I hit the road, I was white hot. And that’s when God began to speak to my heart.
I wanted to rage. He calmed my heart. I wanted to punish the puppy. God reminded me that the puppy didn’t know any better. I wanted to have harsh words with my son. God reminded me that my son is a lot like the puppy… a whole lot like the puppy.
I was finally cooling down a bit. I then started to think about replacing the phone. My anger swelled. Then I thought about cool new replacements. And that’s when the real lesson began. Yes, the phone was blemished. And there are some serious teeth marks on the speaker grill. But the phone works. After all, I’m typing this, aren’t I?
God then spoke even more clearly: I am the phone. I was made with a purpose. And in my “as built” state, I was sleek and beautiful. Then I entered this fallen world. And the world wantonly ripped me from my purpose. It chewed me up. It marred my image of myself. But it didn’t alter my purpose. Nor has it prevented me from fulfilling that purpose. God will still use me to accomplish His purposes – despite the scratches and bite marks found throughout my soul.
Friends, don’t let your daily concerns rob you of the joy that can be found when fulfilling your God-ordained purpose. You WILL be marred and bruised. But your purpose remains. Go forth with joy as you discover and fulfill your purpose.
-Roo