Restoring Your Soul - Living a Limitless Lifeಮಾದರಿ

The Power of Being Intentional

I recently received a message from a college friend that left me stunned and in shock. My dear friend, whom I had known for 55 years since our days in first grade, had passed away as a result of a work accident. Two weeks later, after traveling 800 miles, I found myself sitting at his memorial service surrounded by hundreds of others.

It was quite a crowd to honor this small-town boy, who had gone on to be a pastor in a farming community even smaller than the 400-person village we grew up in.

So, what was it about his life that caused so many to come to acknowledge this unexpected loss? The answer came in a tribute written by someone I had never met, yet whose words captured the heart of who my friend was. Their reflection offered a glimpse into why so many of us gathered to honor him that day: his kindness, his humility, and the way he touched lives far beyond the boundaries of the little town where we grew up. In his words:

“Today I sat in the back row of a place where I did not want to be, but nothing could have kept me from. The second person to my left did not look like someone from the Peace country. She wore a hijab and sat quietly in the corner. To my right sat a Mennonite couple, the kind where the women wear a cap or bonnet. Literally hundreds of people filled the sanctuary of a church that was neither mine nor the church of the pastor whose funeral I was attending – we were attending. A funeral that came decades too early by human counting.

I am a Seventh-day Adventist. He was not. Like the woman with the hijab and the couple who were some variation of old order Mennonites, I did not belong or fit here, either.

So why was I here, and why were they here, and why were hundreds of people there for the funeral of a man who pastored a small church in a tiny town that most people have never heard of? Why did a larger church – also not the same denomination as him – have to open its larger doors to accommodate us all? Why was the singing led by a Pentecostal pastor, and the message delivered by another pastor who also was not of his denomination?

I will tell you why. Because this man was so much like Jesus that his life had neither walls nor borders.

His children spoke of their father first, with obvious love and admiration, yet candid honesty. His life was not always happy, but it was always religious. Somewhere along the journey, he discovered that the God he had always believed in was better than he had ever known. Somewhere along the journey, he found out that God is not a Divine taskmaster. He is not Someone demanding a standard of excellence to which we will never rise. Instead, He is Abba – Daddy. A good, good Father.

When his heart opened to this reality, his arms opened as well. From a tiny hamlet in what most would call the middle of nowhere, a humble, quiet, vulnerable man, (who had passed through the waters of both bad religion and bouts of depression because of it), came into the light of His love. From that place of healing, he lived a life that blessed and healed others, including me.

When Elijah was "retiring" and Elisha was chosen to take his place, Elisha asked for a double portion of the Spirit of God that had inhabited the life and ministry of Elijah.

I would be satisfied with half of what filled the heart of Nelson. Those who know, know. Those who don't missed out. I just wish I had told him how much he impacted my life.

Today I relearned what I have already learned. Healing and joy begin when we discover how amazing God and His grace really are.”

I believe that Nelson and the family he leaves behind would feel deeply blessed that his life and even his death inspired others to live with greater intention. As we begin these 30 days of reflecting on how we can partner with God in restoring our souls, I hope that his story will encourage and inspire you.

God created you for a reason. You are not an accident. When you choose to walk in the Light of God’s unfailing love with purpose and intention, every day becomes an opportunity to experience an abundant life and to make a difference in the world around you.

I Invite You to Ask Yourself:

1. What passions or gifts has God placed in my heart?
2. What holds me back from living more intentionally?
3. What steps could I take this week to live more intentionally?

I Invite You to Pray:

Lord, remind me that I was created for a purpose, I am not insignificant, and my life has great meaning. I open my heart to You. Show me where my soul needs Your touch of restoration, so that I may live more intentionally and see and love others the way You do. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Feel free to download a Free Chapter of my book, "The Keys to Unlock Life Without Limits", if you would like more information on restoring your soul and living life intentionally.