On Assignment
A few weeks ago, I shared about my love of the game of hockey. However, there are some aspects of the game I loathe... one being how parents live out their unrealized dreams through their children. I saw this on several occasions, as parents pushed their kids to perform no matter the cost. Recently, I read about an NHL player, Patrick O’Sullivan, who was severely abused by his father who was desperate to live out his dreams through his son. Patrick shared only a small part of his story on www.theplayerstribune.com and commented on the “way youth hockey is trending... When I was in the NHL, I’d be doing my off-season workouts at the gym with Daniel Carcillo and some other NHL buddies, and we’d look over and see 12-year-old kids doing the same two-hour workout we were doing, with a trainer screaming at them the whole time. Half the time, their parents would be there yelling at them, too.” There is another story of when a young man attended a prestigious event in which he received the annual Outstanding Citizen of the Year Award. His parents were there, sitting on the edge of their seat, awaiting the celebration of their son and what he’d become; the realization of the dream that their son had become a distinguished doctor, fulfilling the unmet dream of his father. The room became silent once Dr. Clyde Wilson Jr. had received his accolades; his composure broke and he despairingly asked his parents to forgive him because he just couldn’t carry forth the dream of a medical doctor they had worked so hard for him to achieve. On the quiet ride home, he continued to explain himself, saying he had become what they had dreamed for him but had never had the chance to become who he was made to be. He shared how his dream was to become a musician and had realized standing on that stage that he could not continue trying to fulfill his parents’ dream and had to begin fulfilling his own. His words were “I want to live. I want to come alive. I want to be what I was born to be (from “In Pursuit of Purpose” by Myles Munroe.) No matter our race, our age, our skills or our abilities, we were created to live a meaningful, fulfilled life. Be bold enough to leave the dull, boring, meaningless, empty life you are living and dare to ask God to reveal what you’ve been created to be. Our purpose is the key. Our assignment is to solve a problem for someone, somewhere. Mike Murdock gives a few tips to discovering our purpose: 1. “What you love the most reveals the greatest gifts you contain.” What are you passionate about? 2. “What grieves you is a clue to what you are assigned to heal and restore.” What moves you? When you discover your assignment, depression leaves. Fear leaves. Joy and peace come and uncommon favor enters because you are fulfilling your purpose and calling. “God wants us to know His plans and purposes for our lives because He knows that apart from them we cannot know hope, peace and joy. Purpose is the key to fulfillment because it establishes the foundation on which all of life must be built.” (Myles Munroe.)
Dear readers, life will start taking on new meaning for you. Look for signs and listen to Holy Spirit as He takes you on the discovery of His plan for your life. Be open and teachable. Your life will never be the same!