THIS THING CALLED PURPOSE
The questions we ask; The answers we seek
“That we will not work harder and harder at climbing the ladder of success only to discover it’s leaning on a wrong wall”
Stephen R. Covey
Earlier today, as I sat by my reading table waiting for light to be restored, I spent quite some time staring at my reflection in the blank screen of my phone.
“This thing can actually be used as a mirror” I thought.
“But is that what it was made for?” Another thought fired in.
This got me thinking about the right answer to the question of what matters most in our lives as humans. As I ran through all of the options within me, I remembered a story I once shared (you may have read it before). It settled it all for me. Here, I’ll share an excerpt.
Mr. Fanlala, as he had popularly called himself, stormed into the room angrily. He just had the most humiliating experience of his life and this time, he was not leaving without an explanation. Baba owed him answers.
“Fan, what’s wrong?” Baba asked surprised. His son hadn’t even bothered with the usual greeting.
“My name is not Fan! I am Mr. Fanlala!!!” He shouted clenching his fists and stomping his feet on the ground.
“Oh” Baba replied. “What is it then?”
“I have failed again Baba. I had my first singing performance today. All our family members were present. They all laughed at me. Baba, they laughed at me! No one listened!”
“You sang?” Baba asked with shock all over his face.
Yes, I sang Baba. I can sing. I have a great voice. Mr. Fanlala replied with a show of confidence.
“Oh no!” Baba exclaimed and burst into fits of laughter.
Fan at this point couldn’t bear the scorn anymore, even his own father was laughing at him. He released the tears immediately. Baba stopped laughing and looked at his beautiful son with pity. It was obvious he needed some help.
“Fan, please sit and stop crying. Let me talk to you.” Baba said with much compassion.
Fan couldn’t resist his father’s voice. It made him warm and he felt the love and comfort again. It was time for some help.
“I want you to look at yourself properly and tell me each of your body parts.”
Fan took his time and looked at each of the parts his awesome Father had blessed him with at birth.
“Blade irons, Electric motor, Rotor…” He listed
“Now, which of these parts did I design for singing, love?” Baba cut in.
“But Baba, I can sing. Every time I’m turned on, I give sound. And besides, no one appreciates me for aerating the air. All they do is to go on with their businesses or just sleep. But when Speaker comes on, everyone listens with rapt attention. The other day, at Microphone’s party, everyone started dancing as soon as Speaker came on. I was at the corner with no one to appreciate me. I want to do something that will make everyone notice me.” Fan replied with tears.
“Oh beloved! You are a product of my workmanship, my own work of art and masterpiece. I still do remember the very day I made you. I made you to aerate the air, son.”
“Bbb…ut Baba. No one appreciates me.”
“What are your expectations, son?”
“They don’t dance. They don’t clap. They don’t listen.”
“Now, I want you to answer this carefully. What have you really observed about yourself since you’ve been made?”
“Well, every time when people come in dripping with sweat and complaining about how hot the weather is, they turn me on immediately. They also breathe sighs of relief and have this comforting look on their faces. Everywhere seems cool with me. In fact, there’s hardly any home in the world today where I am not present. People can’t seem to do without me.” Fan replied with his face breaking into a big smile. Baba was getting on him already.
“Very true. That’s you fulfilling purpose son. You were made to bring comfort, to aerate the air, to ease discomfort. The sound you produce is to signify that you are in action. It’s not a sound for singing. And it’s not a performance, so do not expect people to clap or dance. Your own appreciation comes from within. Keep blessing lives in your own unique way. Stop comparing yourself with Speaker son, he is only fulfilling his own reason for creation.” Baba replied quietly.
After much silence spent in deep thoughts, Fan looked up at Baba and said “It’s true Baba. Now I see. I’m a fan.”
Baba nodded repeatedly and then said, “Even if you had sang well and everyone applauded and praised you, you would still have been a failure to me, because that was not what I made you for. Only in the creator’s original intent is the creature most fulfilled.”
Why school- Money. Why money- Comfort. Why comfort- Enjoyment. Why enjoyment-Satisfaction. What is Satisfaction? What is life’s greatest achievement?…The questions are endless.
What matters most? There is only one goal of creation: That the creature fulfils the will of the creator.
I hope we all find the right answers to our questions.
So I went down to the potter’s house and saw him working with clay at the wheel. He was making a pot from clay. But there was something wrong with the pot. So the potter used that clay to make another pot. With his hands he shaped the pot the way he wanted it to be (Jeremiah 18:3–4 ERV)
