My nephew, Hunter just recently graduated from high school. I was very proud of him. It seems that he "has it all together". Even while he was in school he seemed to know what he wanted to do. He knew the classes he wanted to take because they would help him achieve his goals.
Now that he has graduated he will be attending the University of Alabama in the fall and it seems he is on track to accomplish his plan.
My problem is I don't think I ever had a plan. It seems to me that my life has been a series of accidents, at least on my part. It seems that I have just stumbled into whatever situation I find myself.
When I was in high school I didn't plan on anything. Others wanted to graduate and go to this college or that school. I just wanted to graduate. I had no plans after that. And I did graduate. You couldn't tell it from my spelling and writing skills but I did.
When I graduated from high school there was this little thing called the Viet Nam war going on. (I know that's ancient history to some of you.) I looked at the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines and was not really excited about either of them. Then one night a friend asked "Have you ever considered the U.S. Coast Guard"?
A few "trips" and a few stumbles and I was in the Guard. When I came out of boot camp they asked me what my interest were. I had none. No plans. So after a battery of test they sat down and told me what I was qualified to do. "Which of these do you want to do?" they asked. "Whichever one takes me closer to the South" I said. I was in California at the time and it was no secret that I wasn't happy there. So I tumbled headlong into diesel mechanic school in Yorktown, Virgina.
Graduating from that school I was tripped again and splashed into a search and rescue unit out of Galveston, Texas. Three years later I did a face plant into a volunteer fire department in Calera. EMT school, a job at the ambulance service, a job with the county, a job with EMA it just went on and on. My life has been a long line of accidents on my part. I did nothing on purpose, it just happened.
But now I am old and I manage a department for the county. My management tool is a legal pad and a clip board. I get up each morning and write down a list of things that I need to do that day. As they are accomplished I mark them off the list. As other things come up, I put them on the list. I plan my day around this list and thus manage my day "on purpose".
Now let me show you what God showed me this week. My prayer has been for a long time, "Lord, put someone in my path today so I can help them and encourage them and show them Your love". That's a pretty noble prayer don't you think? But that's not "living on purpose". That's living my Christian life just like my life has always been lived. If I happen to trip over you today I might say some kind word or do some kind deed. But far be it from me to plan to be helpful.
So I have determined that I will plan to do good. Each day I pick out someone and send them a note, text, email or phone call to encourage them. I listen to the prayer request at church and if I don't know anyone that I think needs encouragement, I'll start with those who have needs.
Just a word of encouragement. Just a note to let them know someone is thinking about them and praying for them. Not accidentally, but on purpose. It's working for me. You might try it. Do something today "on purpose". I think you will see that it increases your productivity.
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