The Purpose Of Life

Alone on a weekend with our domestic helper at home, writing my blog now, before I embark on the journey in my dream land (zzzzz…). A strange Saturday indeed, having to attend a meeting in the late afternoon, therefore it felt as if my time for today had been fragmented into 2 portions, before and after meeting. (I don’t normally have to work on weekends, much less having to attend meeting, this happened once in a moon blue.) As a result, I missed out 2 important celebrations, one is a friend’s baby’s full month (what do you call that?), and another is my brother’s birthday (tomorrow is his actual day, but we normally celebrate as a family on a Saturday).

I have been thinking a bit again recently, perhaps due to sudden extension of several “datelines” at work, I did not have to stay too late in office for the past week. (Somehow, I noticed that “datelines” tend to crash together, they always seem to fall within the same period, attempting to compete with one another for my attention at the same time.) I have been having a little bit more time to sleep (finally 8 hours a day), time for half an hour of TV and some chatting with my mom. Perhaps I have almost reached the threshold of my strength, after working for about 6 years, designing at a pace like never before. I have never designed so much with all my university years added together, with an average of about 8 to 10 designs or more in a year now perhaps? Such a frantic pace, when ideas seem no longer refreshing at times, but mere effort of trying to pass it off hopefully. That is why I am looking forward for a long break soon, as the feeling of “all is vanity” gets stronger every passing day in me. (Don’t misunderstand, I still enjoy designing, but I want to design from a God-given inner reservoir, not with my puny, insignificant creativity or self effort.)

Pondering on “all is vanity”. Have you ever asked yourself this question? Why am I born into this world? There must be a purpose for living? And as you look at what you are doing everyday, you begin to ask, is that all to life itself? I bet you must have, all must have at one point or another asked the above, and sure enough, I did. That was why finally the One who gives me purpose for living comes into my life, gives me a hope and a reason to live. I was suddenly reminded of this truth again yesterday, as I sang through the lyrics “I was made to praise You…I was made to love You…I was made to worship at Your feet”. I love the simplicity of this truth, the simple fact for my life, not for anything else, not for achievement, not for fame, not for money, although the above are good to have, but most of all, and if nothing at all, is to know and behold my Shepherd. The simple fact of life, the simple joy in life. Thank God for putting me back into the right perspective. For a moment, I almost forgot about this. Hope you too are reminded as well, after all, many of us are so caught up with the demands in life!

You must be wondering what has the above illustration got to do with what I am writing today. You are right, yet this mental image has been on my mind for the past few weeks, partly due to work, and I thought I might as well draw it out. (I showed my mom the painting, and she commented that it looks like a pair of hands holding a piece of chocolate! Hope you don’t think the same. Sob…) In life, we are bound to meet stormy weather and circumstances, such as Noah in the ark, yet I know for sure that there is a pair of living, invisible, yet most powerful hands protecting the ark and watching over it. So fear not, you are not alone, Someone who loves you dearly is watching over you relentlessly. Cheers! (And thanks again for reading my fragmented thoughts today!)