Raft Part 2 by Robin Densmore Fuson

 

Have you lost your direction?

Looking for a foothold? Need guidance? Stumbling around in the dark?

In the first devotion, we talked about feeling abandoned but God still had our back. He still worked behind the scenes and held us firmly in His grip. Part 1 Here

As I “floated in my raft” my feelings of abandonment, isolation, loneliness had a root cause—purpose.

I had lost my husband. The person I had taken care of, for thirty-two years, had died. I lost my identity. No longer was I a married woman, Mrs. David Densmore. Wife and caretaker of David were now non-existent.

Who was I? What was my purpose? He had been dying for several years and I stepped into the gap and fought dragons to help him live. I knew the path. I had my marching orders. I had my focus. My purpose was to take care of him.

All that got stripped away from me when he took his last breath. Now what? I had an empty dwelling. A lonely bed. A lonely life. Sure, I had a family. Not the same. I had work but even that shifted.

No purpose. As I waited in the “raft” of my existence and cried out to God for something that I thought was loneness or abandonment was in reality—I’d lost my purpose. If you are restless, lonely, bored, or directionless—you’ve probably lost or misplaced your purpose.

The raft held me in the sea of isolation because I didn’t have a purpose. I had a job. I taught children in church, and I sang in the praise team. I was surrounded by friends and family, yet, I had no purpose or fulfillment.

God made all of us to desire a purpose. The reason we get up each day. Each of us needs to figure out, with the Lord, what is our purpose.

When I turned my focus from the “raft” of my life on the sea of nothingness to who God is and His character of love, faithfulness, powerfulness, forgiveness, and you name it, the breeze took me to shore, out of the raft, and to walk with the Lord to discover my purpose.

Mine is communicating the message of God’s Word simply through storytelling where faith in Christ is center stage. I’m a storyteller with a mission of proclaiming the Lord Jesus Christ.

Boom!

Not a wife, although I am again. Not a caregiver. Not a writer. Not a daughter. Not a mother and grandmother. Although those are marvelous gifts, my purpose is to do what the Lord wants me to do. This is His action, His calling, His purpose for my life.

I challenge you to take time with the Lord and ask Him to clarify your purpose. It may take a while. I’ve been asking and following His leading to discover and to bring it into clear sharp focus for the last ten years. Well, to be honest, the last two-quarter centuries. Wow, am I getting old. Ha!

Seek His face. Ask, search, try doors, walk through if they are open, and you will discover what He has for your purpose. One door or assignment may lead to another and another and so on. Yours may be a caregiver, a wife, mother, a committee chairperson, a teacher, a quick checker at the local store, the best ditch digger, an impressive candlestick maker, an amazing crafter, a missionary, a doctor, a nanny…

“For I know the plans I have for you.” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and of hope.” (Jerimiah 29:11 NLT)

 

Remember, you can contact me in the comments if you need a buddy, a sounding board, or have a question.