This summer I took my kids to visit an Alpaca farm. We got to hold a baby, pet their wooly fur, and feed some of the big girls and boys.
The local farmer explained to us their Peruvian heritage, how he cares for them, and a little bit about the breeding process. I was inspired to learn that this unique creature, a cousin to the llama, has a very specific purpose in life. Alpaca fiber is used to make knitted and woven items, similar to wool. Identifying largely with blankets, sweaters, hats, gloves, and scarves.
During our visit, the farmer made a curious statement, “The Alpacas sole purpose in life is to provide comfort.”
A sole purpose. Singular. One good work for this beautifully and wonderfully made animal. Hmmm… Could the same be true of all creatures? At first, I declare yes indeed!
But one little creature has me hung up on this thought.
My 7 year old daughter’s beta fish. Every night when I go to tuck her into bed I look at the glass bowl resting on her desk. This creature is so boring. The way it floats in its stagnant water and does absolutely nothing. Surely it has no purpose in life. Except to plainly irritate me with another cleaning chore. As if I needed one more living thing to care for, and I find myself grumbling through a list of worthless reasons for this creature.
Until, the other day I come across a valuable blog post on Beta Readers. Those special people who come into your writing world (after your 1st draft) and read your story. Their purpose is to test your work. Their aim is to improve the quality.
It’s then that I connect the dots back to my daughter’s Beta Fish. I suppose that he does have a purpose in our home. I discover that his sole reason for living is to test my perseverance against his. Why? To improve the quality of my character. After this little ahhh-ha moment I found an interesting shift in my perspective. I looked at him differently. I stopped complaining and accepted his purpose in my life.
How many of us long for a purpose in our own lives? A solid reason for living. A trademark for our lives. It’s a question I’ve asked myself and my Creator for years. Only now, at the tail end of my thirties, can I see it. It’s not about the things I do or how I do them that sets me apart. It’s for whom I do them. We can aim to be good, do good things for others and our community, but I know that what sets me apart is more in line with whom I do them for. It isn’t me that I long to satisfy, but rather the One who made me in His image.
At the end of the day, that’s my sole purpose.
