“The heart of man plans his way, but the

                                  Lord establishes his steps.”

                             ~~ Proverbs 16: 9

          Are you feeling lost and confused about what you should do with your life, or what meaning your life has?  Take heart; you are not alone.  Most people will reach this defining moment sometime during their when they are struggling with emotions or personal problems that seem overwhelming; however, it’s not necessarily a negative state of mind even though it may feel like it.  Instead, it can be the very springboard towards a new beginning.  Questioning and examining yourself can lead to a much better path for your life if you approach it with determination to search for the reasons you are feeling this way. No doubt, life can become overwhelming and even crushing at times, but seeking answers within yourself is imperative.
          I wish someone would have helped me understand this when I was much younger. Perhaps I would have avoided all the heartaches, pain, and suffering I endured before I realized I needed answers. Meaning and purpose in life wasn’t even on my radar from the time I was a teenager up until I was a 31-year-old emotionally broken woman.  My foolish solution was to always run.  I was raised in such a dysfunctional home, that all I cared about was to escape from it. I continuously made very bad choices in order to escape my past.  However, running has never solved any of the turmoil or pain anyone may be feeling on the inside.   I made so many bad choices when I was young. Instead of dealing with all the problems, I would turn to someone or something to save me.  So at the age of 22, I found myself divorced and a mother trying to make a decent living for my daughter and myself.  I’m not saying that my daughter was the problem; she was quite the opposite to me.  She was the one blessing in my life; the only person who made my life worth something to me. This was not an easy path to be on because during that time in history, divorce was not as acceptable as it is today.  It was extremely hard being a single mom and I constantly struggled.  I don’t remember ever having a clear direction; I only reacted, and yes, this type of living led to worse decisions as time marched on.
          If you have ever experienced any of these feelings, or if you are experiencing similar feelings now, there is hope. You don’t have to stay in this position. The best thing you can do at this point is to start asking yourself the hard questions:  What is my purpose in life? What meaning does my life have?  It’s not an easy thing to do; it will require courage and tenacity because more than likely other personal problems will surface that you might have to examine, and then the next most crucial question you will need to answer is how you reached this point in life.  What decisions did you make that lead you to where you are now?  While this one particular question may be very painful to examine, it can also be enlightening if you answer it with brutal honesty.  It’s actually taking responsibility for all of the choices you have made up to this point without blaming others.  While other people may have been the catalyst for the decisions, they are not the ones who made the ultimate decisions for you.  While looking inward might be frightening, you don’t have to face these questions and answers by yourself.  You have a mighty advocate who has just been waiting for you to call on Him, and His name is Jesus.  Scripture says, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”  Jeremiah 29: 11 (NIV).
          Searching for meaning and purpose will ultimately bring you face-to-face with GOD.  It’s inevitable because He is the author of life. He is the one who created you and He is the one who has designed you to walk in the purpose He created you for, and He is the one who has authored your purpose.  The Bible states, “The plans of the LORD stand firm forever, the purposes of His heart through all generations.” Psalm 33: 11 (NIV).  Although this may be scary for you, it is the only answer.  If I have to look at the major regret in my life, it would be that I did not do this early in my journey.
          You don’t have to reach the point of brokenness and hopelessness I had to reach at 31.  Thank God, He never gave up on me and engineered my steps to bring me unto Himself so that my only answer was Jesus.  I had nothing left (except my daughter and my life) at this point.  I literally fell to my knees and asked Jesus to forgive me of all my sins, to come into my life and be my Savior and Lord.  That was the first step I took toward finding a new path, one that gave me hope.  The moment I took this step, a powerful sense of peace came over me.  I truly felt I was not alone in this world.  From that moment until now, He has been with me all the way.  He gave me purpose and meaning that I never had before that moment in time when I surrendered to God, our Creator.  I’m not going to say you won’t have any problems, pain, or suffering; that would not be speaking truth.  What I will say, however, is that He will be with you every step of the way.  Scripture says, “I [God] will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you.” Psalm 32: 8.  He will be your Encourager, Teacher, Protector, and Provider if you will ask Him into your life and heart.  He is the first step toward a bright, exciting future.
          I remain very passionate about helping others find their purpose and meaning in life.  My sincere prayer for you is that you will take the step and invite Jesus into your life this very moment.  He loves you so much that He gave His life for you to have a blessed life here and life eternal with Him when you draw your last breath.