Plan vs. Purpose

We all have our ways of rigging things to make it work for what we need it for at the time. A wire hanger not only serves as a clothes hanger but also an antenna for an old school TV, a back scratcher and something to throw to get someone’s attention. Mayonnaise is not just a spread to add moist goodness to a sandwich but also an amazing moisturizer for your hair when it looks dull or needs some nutrients. The same is true for eggs and many other things that we rig. Although they work for the what we planned, it wasn’t created for that purpose.

PLAN

So I have a tendency to plan my life ahead. This has been my thing since I was a child. I always started with a blank canvas in my mind and designed what my life would look like at certain ages. And I would wish and rush my life to reach that age and when I finally turned that age, nothing changed. I expected to wake up and be fully manifesting in my visual board plans. It wasn’t until my 27th birthday that I decided I didn’t want to celebrate my birthday anymore because I didn’t feel like I accomplished anything for the year. I still fall into the trap of my plan vs. God’s plan and I still find myself disappointed with the failed results of my plan every time.

Sometimes the plans we make aren’t necessarily bad but they aren’t conducive to our purpose. I wanted to sell t-shirts to bring awareness to homelessness in a new way. So many people support homelessness but haven’t been in the homeless shelter, counseled them one-on-one, and had to make plans to help them better their life. I knew firsthand what the life of many Atlanta homeless people looked like and I wanted to convey my passion and their stories through my t-shirt line. Well, helping the homeless is part of my purpose, selling t-shirts was NOT a part of that purpose… at least not at that time. I spent almost $2K in materials, shipping, merchandise, marketing, etc. just to end the business two weeks later. My plan was to bring awareness to an issue. God’s plan was for me to manifest in the community and learn more before pulling the trigger. My plan wasn’t malicious or bad but the timing was off. We have to stop and connect with God first before we push go on things in our life. The disappointment comes when we make choices based on how we feel at the moment.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart;
    do not depend on your own understanding.
6 Seek his will in all you do,
    and he will show you which path to take.

Proverbs 3:5-6 NLT

God determines our purpose. He determines how our legacy will be played out and when we decide to jump the gun, we delay His plan for our greater purpose.

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PURPOSE

What were you created, designed and graced to do? Most of us are just winging it and some of us actually know why we’re here. A lot of people think that “if you are good at something, then that’s your purpose” and I disagree. In my husband’s mind, he SWEARS he can sing. My response to him every time he opens his mouth to “harmonize” with someone singing on the radio: KNOW YOUR MINISTRY BABY. He thinks he can sing and I know in his heart he believes he can but no shade, he cannot hold a tune to save his life. That isn’t his purpose. He is extremely gifted in graphic design and he is an amazing lyricist. He has been doing both music and graphic design for over a decade but doors kept slamming closed in music. He got very far in music and had a lot of content produced but it never got past the ceiling compared to where he planned he would be in his career. Music is his passion but not his purpose.

So Britnee how do you identify your purpose? First of all, pray about it and ask God. But someone once told me that if you’ve been given a gift from God then it will give glory to His kingdom. Now you don’t have to be a pastor or minister to give glory to God. My gift is expression through creativity. I use my love for talking to minister to people. During photoshoots I have to talk and sometimes I use that space to minister to people. I don’t drop God’s name after every word but I get my point across the Godliest way I can. I am also a writer and I use my blog (you’re reading it) to minister to people. I also use calligraphy as a tool to minister as well and of course my foundation, Brash, is a platform to minister. I allow my actions and my spirit to minister to people by being positive and being sensitive to the Holy Spirit. My photography allows me to meet MANY people that are from all backgrounds and walks of life. I enjoy learning about their life, their passions, life goals, etc. Your purpose doesn’t have to be directly related to serving in the church BUT it can be something you love that brings praises to God’s name.