Summer is literally around the corner.  My kids are now out of school and now my wife and I are working on getting them into various Summer Programs.  I am also doing some extensive yard work on our new home.  It is new construction, so growing grass has become my new obsession/challenge. 

I often reflect on purpose. There are many object lessons from life that speak to some aspect of purpose.  Observing how God has designed nature and how nature operates provides tremendous insight into how we are to be intentional in pursuing and living out our purpose. How so?

Know Your Environment

In my effort to grow grass around our new home, I discovered that there is a variety of grass and not all of them are suited for where we live.  They all have the potential to grow; however, they all will not flourish in the same environment. 

When it comes to fulfilling your purpose, it is not enough to know what your purpose is; you must also ensure that you are in the right environment for you to flourish in your purpose.   When I just started in ministry, I recognized that I had a passion to help struggling churches and ministries thrive.  The problem was that I had spent an enormous amount of energy helping struggling churches and ministries also while being a part of these struggling churches and ministries.  I then realized that I was helping, but I was not flourishing and growing in my purpose.  The truth is that you are called to impact a context/environment; however, it does not also mean that you will also be enriched in that environment. You must be intentional about finding a tribe that will refresh you and helps nurture you as you are moving forward in your purpose.  

Know Your Pace

Another lesson I learned from planting grass is that not all grass grows at the same pace.  Some grass may germinate in 5 days; however, they do not have the strength and endurance to survive in high heat and other challenging conditions; others take around 10 days to germinate. When they do, they are more robust in the longer term.   When it comes to your purpose, you cannot rush growth. The speed of your growth is contingent on your Purpose Story and how you are partnering with God in writing new chapters.

Fulfilling your purpose is not a race.  However, it requires intentional effort over time.  The instruction on the grass seed I laid down says it would germinate in approximately 9 days. They were spot on! The engineers know the composition of the seed well. All the watering in the world, would not have caused the seed to germinate any faster.   Here is the lesson: when it comes to fulfilling your purpose, you need to connect with the Divine Engineer and keep in step with His leading coupled with your effort to grow.  You cannot rush the growth, but you can be an active participant in writing and fulfilling your purpose story.

Know Your Seasons

Another lesson I learned in my grass planting adventure is that while the environment must be conducive, and that embedded in the DNA of the grass seed is the time it takes to germinate, grass must also be reseeded at key intervals to ensure that it thrives when the season changes.

Your overarching purpose does not change, but seasons will change that require you to fortify your skills and abilities so you can continue to make an impact in your sphere of influence. This requires that you be intentional in leveling up your skills and abilities. In addition, you must be keen on the seasonal changes, to know when the timing is right to shift into new opportunities. Don’t forget to reseed. 

The Preacher in Ecclesiastes says it best: “There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every matter under heaven” (Ecclesiastes 3:1, NASB).

When it comes to growing in your purpose, what’s the biggest struggle you face?