February 24, 1999
DOWN HOME:
The key to life's meaning
is knowing your purpose
___Have you ever wondered about your purpose in life? Just what is it you were put on this planet to do?
___All our lives are defined by multiple purposes, of course.
___We were born to worship and serve God. As Christians, we are commissioned to tell others about Jesus. As family, we were created to love and be loved, to serve and beserved. We fulfill our purposes in an array of roles--friend, worker, neighbor, student, player, coach. You understand.
MARV KNOX
Editor
___But every now and then, you fulfill a unique role. You achieve a special purpose. When you perform this singular job, you realize you're the only one on Earth who could or would do this.
___For example, if I never had been born, Joanna and her offspring, Lindsay and Molly--who, without me, of course, would have spontaneously regenerated in a historically weird gestation--would have to trade automobiles every six months.
___That's the time it would take them to fill our car with drinking-straw wrappers, church bulletins, junk mail and schoolwork. If it weren't for me, they eventually couldn't fit in the family sedan, and they'd have to sell it.
___Oh, they're an ingenious lot. They'd probably eventually buy a bigger car. If they got a full-size van, they might drive it for a year, maybe 15 months. But inevitably, it would trash out, and they'd have to cash in.
___They'd also have to trade the dog, Betsy. Without me around, she'd become so filthy the Humane Society would declare her a barking toxic waste dump.
___And the girls would have to walk to school to use the bathroom, since toilet paper wouldn't automatically appear on the roller in their bathroom.
___I'm not griping. Special purposes are equal-opportunity tradeouts. Jo could tell you that if she'd never been born, the girls--who, without her, would have ... you know--and I would eat at Sonic every meal. And the girls could tell you that, without them, their mama and daddy would be lonely and live in a much darker, albeit cleaner, house. Not home, just house.
___But take our car, please. I actually like my special purpose. Even when the weather's rainy and I can't wash it, I feel a sense of accomplishment by removing the straw wrappers and old bulletins. And I feel ever so much better knowing the girls don't have to walk to the mall in a downpour, since there's room in the car for them.
___Someone once said, "Cleanliness is next to godliness," and I sort of believe it. Sometimes, when I throw out the straw wrappers and bulletins, I remember that I need to clean out the mess that clutters my life.
___That requires prayer, reflection and repentance. It's a messy job, but everybody needs to do it.
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