Purpose in Life

Took my oldest out for our weekly "Bagel and Bible" time. We're just finishing up Rick Warren's "Purpose Driven Life" and have found it to be a good springboard for conversation. At 16 years of age, my son can easily track the big themes of the book, and while he does not yet have some of the life experiences which would make for a more complete understanding of some of Mr. Warren's points and application, there is enough there to help make sense of the overarching messages.

Our talk time was interrupted, and for a good reason. Dave is a fellow I've seen and chatted with on numerous occasions while at this bagel shop. After his morning workout, he stops by for some breakfast, coffee, quiet time. Today he showed us some photos of the vacation home he is building. Beautiful location overlooking the mountains, and he intends to let friends and others use the house as a restful, meditative getaway. His purpose is to offer up this labor of love as a place of refreshment and spiritual renewal. While he could probably make some money for such a service, Dave and his wife aim to provide this at no charge. We talked about his heart to help others, and it is a heart the size of Texas. He has his life's purpose figured out. We really enjoyed the conversation.

On the way home, my son and I replayed what we'd heard. Dave has a wonderful ministry, to his co-workers, to his customers, to the gals behind the counter at the bagel shop. He is an extrovert who wants to meet people's needs for being loved and known. He is living out his faith in a genuine - and gentle - way, not banging folks over the head with Bible verses, just engaging them in real conversations, trying to offer an encouraging word. In a few months he'll even be able to make it possible for that exhausted single mom he meets to get away from it all for a weekend by going up to his vacation home with her kids, to escape the routine and phones and city, to look out at the mountains and get a bigger view of life and its problems.

I like Dave, and I know God will continue to use him. He is on a mission! I'm glad he came by for his bagel and coffee this morning, glad we could talk. It was a good lesson for my son to listen in on…because I'll be very happy if he follows Dave's example and lives his life for others. If he has a purpose driven life.