Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Still Owing Day 40 of The Purpose Driven Life

I still owe her Day 40 of the "Purpose Driven Life" we were working on together more than five years ago. I thought I would get to it yesterday but I am not settled and sure enough on what and how to write the last day.

My primary school classmate has been asking me for my prayer support that she might know which direction to take after quitting her business. Just as well she is on a long medical break after hurting her foot badly.

Separately I have been telling my children that people like to know from God what to do and then run with it once they are sure. Guess what happen? They can continue their habit of not praying. The heroes of the Faith were not like that.

Back to my primary school classmate. Seems that God isn't telling her :-) Instead she is spending as much time as she could studying her Bible. She had also signed up for some bible studies. Her life is full of little miracles. I am happy for her. In fact, I tell God let me have some of those miracles too!

Now back to where I started. Whatever I might write in the end, this is definitely going in.


The fruit of silence is prayer.      
The fruit of prayer is faith.      
The fruit of faith is love.      
The fruit of love is service.     
The fruit of service is peace.

Rick Warren missed prayer. This generation has so much power and volition. It is always action, action and results. That's pride which I am often loss for words. It takes a lifetime to understand and admit. Therefore I am going to borrow it from elsewhere


Her toilet cleaning, which I have already mentioned, also had spiritual significance, as the following story that I heard illustrates. On an overseas flight to Washington to visit the then U.S. president Ronald Reagan, one of the Sisters who was accompanying her noticed something odd: Mother Teresa went into the toilet at the front of the business-class section, first into the one on the right, then into the one on the left. Then she walked to the back of the plane to the other toilets. The Sister’s curiosity won out over her embarrassment and she asked Mother Teresa the reason for these repeated trips to the toilets. Her brief answer was, “Exorcism!” Mother Teresa had cleaned all the toilets, and it seems that it was precisely in cleaning the toilets that she found an antidote to any hint of pride. This would fit well with the maxim that she often repeated: “How do you learn humility? Only through humiliations!”

Maasburg, Leo (2011-10-11). Mother Teresa (p. 179). Ignatius Press. Kindle Edition.



I started with her on the life of  Mother Teresa. The metaphor of a pencil in the Lord's hand left an indelible mark on her. There is no Purpose Driven Life until there is surrender.

You will know your purpose and yet also not know. Just as you didn't have a say when you were born into this world or know when you will leave....For David...served the purpose of God in his own generation (Acts 13:36)


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