Do you have a purpose in life?

**tbs727** · 11-20-2008, 01:35 PM

I'm just curious to know if you guys feel like you have a purpose in life. I don't think that everyone does, and that's just fine if you don't. I'll post mine later, and would like to hear yours!

**forHISglory** · 11-20-2008, 02:08 PM

My purpose in life has little to do with me. I feel that I am created to give glory to God. I do that through praise, worship, prayer, and Bible study. But I also do that through care of His creation, through good stewardship of what He has entrusted to me, through compassion and love to others, and through using my wisdom and creativity to leave the world a better place.

Hence....... my user name.......

**G'MaDebbie** · 11-20-2008, 02:39 PM

My purpose in life is to foster children. I have known from a very young age that this is something I wanted to do. My husband and I are foster parents and although relatively new to doing this and at times I feel like this

, it is exactly what my purpose in life is.

**Buc-O-Mama** · 11-20-2008, 02:41 PM

That's a pretty complicated question for me and one that I only recently wrapped my head around fully. I could give you 3 or 4 answers to that question because really, anyone's purpose in life has layers or different facets.

The one purpose in my life that has affected me most profoundly is motherhood. More specifically, that I was chosen to be the mom of a precious daughter with a growing list of special needs. There are no words for the joy and struggle of that amazing blessing. My purpose is to make sure that she has everything she needs not just for now but for the future. If I'm really lucky, I'll still get to tuck her in at night when she's 50.

**GFNancy** · 11-20-2008, 03:20 PM

I always thought my purpose was to be a mom. Once I became a mom I felt like I just wasn't very good at it. I'm a lot more impatient than I should be and I don't play well. I didn't play well even as a kid. I just don't get playing. I was the kid who always had her nose in a book.

My MIL, bless her heart, told me that she was the same way when her kids were little (mine are 4 and 6). Once her kids were older, she felt like she was a much better mom. So I still have hope.

**starsapphire** · 11-20-2008, 03:28 PM

I believe I am a spiritual being who is here having a material (earthly) experience in order to learn and grow spiritually. And that is my purpose.

**Moor** · 11-20-2008, 03:57 PM

When I was younger, I never wanted to be a mom. I never wanted children. But life changed that for me. I can not image my life without my kids now.
I feel that my purpose in life was to have children, so that I might be able to help their friends.
So far, we have taken in several kids that lived with us for more than 6 months.
The first one, is gay. When he told his mother at 16, she kicked him out. He came to live with us and learn that not every man in his life is there to take advantage of him. He was raped and the person that he told was my dh, who then called the cops and helped him through it. This child had never had a man in his life who he could trust.
The second child was a child from a broken home. His step father thought of him as a beating board. He came to learn in my home that when someone gets mad, you don't have to cower and hide, but to stand up and learn how to deal with anger.
The third child was in a similar situation. He has recently came back and told me that the day that he stood up to his father, was the day that he got his life back. He no longer fears his father and the father no longer tries to beat him on a daily basis. They are now going to counseling as a family, to maye get past this.
The fourth child came to us, a very broken girl. She had no self esteem. She didn't live with us, but stayed with us almost every weekend for two years. She came from a Morman family. She got involved with someone older and when her parents found out, they kicked her out. She lived with this man for two years. He was abusive to her. Got her pregnant. We lost contact for a while. But about 10 months ago, we got back in touch with each other. She gave the baby up for adoption because of the abuse. She was able to leave this man and now is back with her family. She told me that if I hadn't found her and told her that she didn't need to stay with him, she would probably be dead.
The last child to live with us, is now away in college. Even though I did not give birth to her, she is a daughter of my heart. She needed us so very badly. She needed a stable home. Something she never had. She needed a positvie role model in both parents. She needed a woman who would tell her about life and a man who was not drunk all the time. Or a man who beat her and others when he lost his job, or something did not go his way. She needed this, so that she could make better decisions in her own life.

I may not have a whole lot, but what I have, I give to others.
All of these kids, now are adults, making better decisions in their lives. They are now productive citizens, people who now help others. They now a direction for their lives. Some of them thought that they would be dead now.

If I do nothing else in my life, I am proud that I was able to help these kids. Hopefully I will be able to help more.

**rowdy35** · 11-20-2008, 04:07 PM

Since I did not have kids (I had too much fallout/ negative tapes from my own bad childhood), I feel that I need to have a purpose and I believe that it is to help others. I've become more cognizant of this and want to really be able to give and make a difference in the world. I believe that is why I was created and I was to achieve this before I die. Thank you for the thread, it is a great one !

**GFNancy** · 11-20-2008, 04:21 PM

Originally Posted by Moor

When I was younger, I never wanted to be a mom. I never wanted children. But life changed that for me. I can not image my life without my kids now.
I feel that my purpose in life was to have children, so that I might be able to help their friends.
So far, we have taken in several kids that lived with us for more than 6 months.
The first one, is gay. When he told his mother at 16, she kicked him out. He came to live with us and learn that not every man in his life is there to take advantage of him. He was raped and the person that he told was my dh, who then called the cops and helped him through it. This child had never had a man in his life who he could trust.
The second child was a child from a broken home. His step father thought of him as a beating board. He came to learn in my home that when someone gets mad, you don't have to cower and hide, but to stand up and learn how to deal with anger.
The third child was in a similar situation. He has recently came back and told me that the day that he stood up to his father, was the day that he got his life back. He no longer fears his father and the father no longer tries to beat him on a daily basis. They are now going to counseling as a family, to maye get past this.
The fourth child came to us, a very broken girl. She had no self esteem. She didn't live with us, but stayed with us almost every weekend for two years. She came from a Morman family. She got involved with someone older and when her parents found out, they kicked her out. She lived with this man for two years. He was abusive to her. Got her pregnant. We lost contact for a while. But about 10 months ago, we got back in touch with each other. She gave the baby up for adoption because of the abuse. She was able to leave this man and now is back with her family. She told me that if I hadn't found her and told her that she didn't need to stay with him, she would probably be dead.
The last child to live with us, is now away in college. Even though I did not give birth to her, she is a daughter of my heart. She needed us so very badly. She needed a stable home. Something she never had. She needed a positvie role model in both parents. She needed a woman who would tell her about life and a man who was not drunk all the time. Or a man who beat her and others when he lost his job, or something did not go his way. She needed this, so that she could make better decisions in her own life.

I may not have a whole lot, but what I have, I give to others.
All of these kids, now are adults, making better decisions in their lives. They are now productive citizens, people who now help others. They now a direction for their lives. Some of them thought that they would be dead now.

If I do nothing else in my life, I am proud that I was able to help these kids. Hopefully I will be able to help more.

This is something my parents did for a couple of my friends when I was an older teenager/young adult. My husband's parents did this too. My MIL had three extra kids either living or staying several times a week at their house at one point. Neither of our families were perfect either. But they were safe. This was many years ago so I kind of forgot about it until you posted.

I believe that this is my purpose too. I always thought that I'd have a lot of kids and assumed that they would all be my birth kids. I would love to adopt, but my husband doesn't have the same feeling at this point, in large part due to our finances. But your post reminds me that you don't have to adopt children to have a huge impact in their lives. Just being that mom of a friend who always has an extra spot at the table or an extra bed to offer you can mean everything to a kid that's hurting and alone.

We always think about kids who need adopting, but kids over 18 who don't have anyone need to be "adopted" too. Everyone needs a place to feel like they belong and can relax. One of my friends that my parents took in aged out of the foster system and had nobody. Sure she was was legally an adult, but can anyone even imagine being that young and having no safety net whatsoever. Just out there? We all think we're grownups at that age, but we're just not.

Even though she was too old to adopt, my parents started calling her their daughter and treated her like she was their own. She has told me that my parents loving her has been the reason she has been able to get through so many things in her life. Knowing that somebody once loved her (my parents both passed away) has changed her life.

Obviously this has really touched a nerve in my heart. I really think this is what my purpose is.

Now I've got to go clean my house. If I'm going to have extra teenagers in my house someday, I've got to get my act together.

**Squirt** · 11-20-2008, 04:30 PM

I don't have a purpose in life and I think that what I do with my life is a choice I make daily. It is kind of like the question: What do you want to be when you grow up? We spend a lot of time agonizing over this, or picking something and thinking we then have to go for it, instead of realizing that this is not a choice that has to be made.

**Monner 1** · 11-20-2008, 04:51 PM

I have told my husband that I think my purpose in life is taking care of people that need help and listening to other peoples problems. I can go out to a store and before you know it someone is telling me their problems, men and women. I sometimes think I should have gone to college to be a psychiatrist..

Monner

QM · 11-20-2008, 05:56 PM

My purpose in life is to serve my Lord, Saviour & Creator. I can do this through prayer, worship, praise and studying God's Word. I am confident He will use me for His glory.

"...let us run with patience the race that is set before us,
Looking unto Jesus the Author and Finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God."
Hebrews 12:1&2

"...for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him against that day."
2 Timothy 1:12

**HandyMom** · 11-20-2008, 06:15 PM

I feel like I have many purposes in this life and it could change daily. Maybe I am here to encourage someone on one day and to take care of someone else on another day.Or maybe I need to learn to be more selfish and take better care of me. I don't really know and I'm only guessing.

Maybe I am an all-purpose human spiritual being.

**MoonMommy** · 11-20-2008, 07:13 PM

Originally Posted by Squirt

I don't have a purpose in life and I think that what I do with my life is a choice I make daily. It is kind of like the question: What do you want to be when you grow up? We spend a lot of time agonizing over this, or picking something and thinking we then have to go for it, instead of realizing that this is not a choice that has to be made.

This is basically how I feel. I don't have a "purpose" nor do I feel like I need one.

**Marie78** · 11-20-2008, 07:14 PM

I used to think my purpose here on earth was to have a family and be a great mom to the children I bring into this world. Now I think my purpose here on earth has more to do with what I am here to learn, just as much as what I have to offer. I know so far that I am here to learn how to be a good listener, learn patience, and learn how to give more.

I think this because most of my life has involved other people coming to me to share their joys, troubles, and just every day news. I am learning how to listen encourage and be there for people in the moment.

I have been patient with: finding the right job, the right husband, having my first child, etc... when I'm moving too fast life has a way of slowing things down: car accident in June made me take things at a slower pace this summer and look at life and how fragile it is. Now I'm pregnant and it will be a long slow 9 months, but again life is fragile and I need to take things slower right now.

I'm learning to give more of myself by sharing, trying to help when I can, giving praise and encouragement, giving financially to two local charities, giving of myself to my baby now and in 8 months when he/she is born.

I think my purpose is to learn and give back and a lot of what I have learned here so far will hopefully help me be a great mom some day. Life's purpose looks different when you are in the middle of creating a life inside of you. You realize how fragile and strong we all are at the same time. You also realize that even though you are helping build the physical being, there's that other part you have no control over...the soul the baby's life purpose. We are all on our own journey and it all starts before we are born.