Would you believe the university I’m attending right now has a robot that retrieves your books?  That’s right, there are millions of books and it has the ability to pick an individual book from a box filled with hundreds of titles.  All you do is tell the Librarian which titles you’re looking for and the rest is history.  Sometimes I wish it was that easy to answer some of life’s big questions, don’t you?

One of the biggest questions people really struggle with is their purpose.  We sometimes wonder, why am I here?  If that’s you lately, I want you to know you’re not alone.  There are a lot of people asking that same question right now- married people, employees, church members, leaders, investors.

But why you’re here isn’t the real issue. The real issue is what you’re doing while you’re here. You can use this time to grow or postpone any resemblance of joy until a  future date.  The choice is yours.

While you’re at it, remember, the same one who brought you here, God, didn’t leave you here so that you would be miserable! He has a purpose for you. Sure, it would be nice if we always knew what that purpose was at all times, but to be quite honest, we don’t.  However, sometimes just knowing you’re here for a purpose makes all the difference in the world, even if you’re unclear at times about what that purpose is.

If you’re struggling with your purpose right now, try this exercise.  Look back on your own life, especially at some of the darkest chapters.  Most likely, you’ll see that although you didn’t always know what your purpose was, you learned some of your greatest lessons during those seasons when you felt like you were in the dark.

Let me start. I worked construction in the summer during college in the early nineties. It was great. The weather was usually wonderful. I had a good tan, was fit, traveled, learned a lot, and was even able to save a little money toward tuition.

Then after college, when I couldn’t find a job, I went back to work construction. There I was introduced to working outside, winter, spring, summer and fall. Spring and summer weren’t so bad, but you know what comes after fall. Sometimes we worked in below freezing weather. There were days when I ran a 95 pound Jack Hammer for eight hours straight! You get the picture. If you were to ask me what Hell was at the time, I thought I could paint you a pretty good picture. The worse part was coming into a heated house at night and having your body’s thermostat go haywire.

However, while those were some dark, trying times, I wouldn’t trade them for anything. I’ve been to a couple of schools, but the University of Adversity taught me some of life’s greatest lessons. There I learned the world isn’t always a nice place. There I learned people will sometimes do everything they can to see you fail. There I learned that life sometimes means hard work and stickability.  But, I also learned a few more important lessons.

1. TAKE TIME TO REFLECT.  Looking back now, God knew I would have a house of my own and vehicles to maintain and now I can fix or build just about anything. I can’t tell you how many thousands of dollars I’ve saved over the years. There’s also the pride and confidence that comes with doing a job well. I also learned to work with difficult people and came to love those who work hard day in and day out to make a living.  Think back on some of the difficult seasons you’ve faced and ponder the good that came from them.

2. TRUST GOD TO USE THIS FOR GOOD. God uses everything for good in the life of a believer, so why are you wondering why you’re still here? Romans 8:28 says, “we know all things work together for good, to them who are the called according to his purpose!” Whatever you’re going through, you can be sure God is going to use it for good.

3. REJOICE! Just think, God could have picked anyone, but he chose you to be right where you are at this very hour. He could have given them to someone else, but God entrusted his children to you at this time and place in history. At the end of the day, you’re not on trial….your faith is! James 1:2-3 says, “My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into diverse temptations; knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.”

4. LEVERAGE THIS SEASON. Ecc. 3:1-2 says, “To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven. A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted.” As farmers in God’s industry, diligence is never an option.  Leverage the opportunities you have now, until the ones you want are ready for harvest!

You know, even though I learned a lot of great things in the School of Adversity, I feel like I dropped out rather than graduated.  Rather than passing my Final Exams with flying colors, I kind of crashed and burned and just ended up getting better with the passing of time.  Looking back now, it could have been a truly positive experience if I had only maintained the right attitude and had a little more faith.  I would have hurt far fewer people than I actually did and would be able to look back on those days with much fonder memories.  How about you?

Regardless of what you’re going through right now, why not encourage someone who’s going through a tough season right now? It doesn’t matter how happy or successful people appear to be, we’re all fighting a battle nobody else can see. If you look at the top of this post, there are convenient ‘share buttons’.  I’m sure someone is just waiting for a post like this to help them.  Why not help a fellow student in the University of Adversity?

One day last Summer, the point where I turned for home was quickly approaching while jogging the bike path.  However, on this particular day I decided to keep running straight past my turn.  In fact, mentally I decided I was going to run twice as far today.  That’s when it happened.

Immediately, my mind was inundated with thoughts.  Things like, “You have to turn for home, you can’t do it!….”If you keep going, you’ll have to run twice as far than you normally do….”You hurt, there must be something wrong.”  You get the idea.  My body was telling me, don’t do it!

A wonderful lesson began to unfold.  I kept running, straight, past my turning point for home.  Farther away from my destination.  And as I did, guess what happened?  It wasn’t any more difficult than my normal routine.  In fact, I felt twice as good when I ran down the homestretch and crossed the finish line at my driveway.  When all was said and done, I’d ran TWICE as far as my normal routine.  How is that possible?

This is what happened.   When my body began to tell me I couldn’t, something greater began to tell me I could!  Up until that turning point, I’d always listened to my body, but amazing transformations take place when we stop listening to ourselves, and start talking!

I’d like to report that I do respond that way everytime a similar scenario plays out, but sadly, I don’t.  How about you?

What’s the impossible thing you’re facing right now?  What self-limiting beliefs are holding you back?

Is it a lack of confidence?  Finances? Family?  An employer?  What is it?  Maybe it’s time to stop listening and start talking to yourself.  It’s a silly illustration, but one you’ll remember- are you the little engine that can or the little engine that can’t?

The apostle Paul said it this way,”…work out your own salvation…for it is God who works in you…” —Philippians 2:12-13.  It’s not our wills that give us a problem, it’s something smaller than that.  How do I know? Because there is something far greater, working in us, namely God!  As Christians, we want to do God’s will.  We have the power in us, Paul says, we just have to work it out.  God is already doing a perfect job working in you.  Do your part, by using dynamite….that dynamite is obedience to his will.

Lets face it, our bodies lie to us!  They have a mind of their own.  They are like the animal who doesn’t want to work.  They lie and connive.  They cheat and rob us of all that God has for us.  They prefer the path of least resistance.  The only way to master them is to stop listening to them and start talking to them.

This isn’t a ‘no pain, no gain’ post.  Instead it’s an invitation to tune into your greater self and tune out everything that’s telling you it can’t be done, whatever ‘it’ is for you right now.  Chances are there is opposition because what you’re trying to do needs to be done and you’re the only one who can do it!

Just think, you were born at just the right time to be in the position to face the particular challenge you’re facing right now.  So lean into it with faith and stop listening to the opposition.  When you do, you may be surprised to find you’re capable of accomplishing twice as much as you think you can.

Nearly twenty eight years ago, this summer, I was nearly killed in a motorcycle accident.  Here’s the thought that occurred to me at the time and here’s what I’ve learned since.

I was getting onto the Northway at Exit 9 in Clifton Park, heading south.  Being seventeen years old, I was traveling along at a pretty good clip.  Getting ready to merge with traffic, I looked over my left shoulder and got ready to duck in behind a dually pick-up.  The problem was I didn’t see it was towing a pop-up camper. OUCH!  Yep, I hit the road doing around 70 m.p.h….wearing shorts, sneakers, and a helmet.  BTW, I only chose the picture to the left because I loved it.  It actually has nothing to do with the post as far as I know.  🙂

When my world finally stopped spinning and sliding, I had some major road rash in the form of third degree burns.  But up until that point, I’ll always remember the thought I had as my whole life up until that point flashed before my eyes!  What I remember clearly thinking is this….I wish I’d told more people how much I loved them.

I write this today, celebrating my 45th Birthday.  Although all this time has passed, it’s something I’m still working on.  Since then, I’ve learned there is something even more important than telling people you love them.  You need to tell and show them.

You learned about the concept of Show and Tell in Kindergarten.  Whoever thought of this idea was a genius!  For the uninitiated, education actually took place before Common Core.  You brought an object to school and stood before the class.  Then, you showed the object to your class mates and talked about it.  It was a wonderful concept.  However, as we all got older, somewhere along the way we started depending on our powers of explanation and stopped demonstrating.

How about you?  Life is short, and the last thing people will remember you for is the house you lived in or your salary?  What they’ll remember most about you is how much you loved them.  So, are the people you truly care for hearing you love them or are they also seeing it?  Are you SHOWING and TELLING?  Someone once said, “Even a blind man knows when the sun is shining!”

The thing about love is it doesn’t always feel good.  It’s not always fun doing the dishes at 10:00 at night after you’ve worked all day.  There are things you’d rather be doing.  That being said, love is not always convenient.  But unless you go through the pains of showing people how much you love them, you’re words will only take you so far.  People eventually get very frustrated and discouraged when there is a proclamation of love and no demonstration.  SHOW and TELL.

When it comes to the gospel, there are some people today who believe we should show and not tell.  Others are very good at not showing, but telling.  Miracles occur when we SHOW and TELL.

Love will cost you more than breath, it will cost you time, energy, money, strength and more.  Why?  Because love is more than words, it’s a demonstration.  In the words of a wise mentor, “People can’t see our hearts.”  God, for example, didn’t just say “I love you!”, he showed his love.  John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but everlasting life.”  God displayed his love on the cross for all the world to see, and his love has been transforming people for centuries.

I don’t know about you, but I’m glad I’ve been given a second chance to show the world God’s love.  Up until that point, all I knew about love was that it gave you the warm fuzzies.  Several years later I came to know love on a much deeper level when he came into my life in the person of Jesus Christ.

My challenge today is to go out and show someone how much you care.  You can do it however you choose, in the form of a phone call or  a text, you may even have the opportunity to sit down with them.  But whatever you do, SHOW and TELL.