Finding your purpose

September 15, 2025

Hello everyone,

Summer is almost over here in Ontario.   The nights are cooler and it gets dark much sooner.  The days are still warm, but pleasant enough for long walks.   I recently went for a hike at Sandbanks Provincial Park.   It is the only place in Ontario that has sand dunes.   Lake Ontario is on one side of the formation with a rock-strewn beach over the sand, while on the other side is West Lake and a few miles of sand dunes.   Hiking here is a bit hard with the loose sand, but definitely worth a visit.  The view from the top of the highest dune is amazing.   

While walking from West Lake to Lake Ontario, away from where most tourists venture, I saw some otters in the distance struggling to cross one of the dunes.   After a few tries, they made it over the top and disappeared from my sight.   There were also fresh deer tracks in the sand close by.    Some turkey vultures were using the air thermals to float above me.   These birds are very ugly up close, but in the air, they soar like eagles with their massive wing span.   I watched them for a while and tried to get a good photo, but with the sun in my eyes, I didn’t succeed.   I kept walking towards the lakeshore, enjoying the beautiful day in God’s creation.

Farther on, I noticed some dead trees still standing.   The trunks were gray from age, but most were still about twenty feet tall.  I had already walked by or stepped over many dead branches on my hike, but these were the first dead trees I noticed still upright.   Even after many years of decay, their girth was still impressive.   I started to think about what they might have endured out on the open dunes, constantly battered by wind and storms.

After reaching that size, they would have sheltered deer, birds and the other animals that make their homes in the dunes.    The tree branches would have protected the smaller grasses, plants and saplings growing under them.   Their seeds would have provided food for squirrels and other animals, and some of the seeds would have been blown in the wind to grow more trees elsewhere.   Even now, their roots are still protecting the dunes by holding the sand in place.    During their lifetime, they made an impact on their environment and accomplished their God given purpose.

When I was younger, I didn’t know what my purpose was.   I struggled for several years to find it (which you can read about in ‘Choices – A Journey of Faith’).    My purpose was not just to get married, have children, live in a house with a picket fence, and retire when I was old.   Those are all good things though.  Eventually, I did get married, but my purpose was, and still is, so much more than that.   With every step I take on the journey I believe the Lord has for me, He reveals a little more of His purpose for my life.   Would I have chosen to be battered by some of the storms that have come along, probably not!   But without the storms, I wouldn’t have been able to see God move in my life, or grow strong enough to help someone else.

Unlike these trees, I have choices.   I don’t have to live where the Lord wants me to, or do what He wants me to do.    But when I do what He has called me to do and walk in His purpose for my life, then I am full of His joy, and I feel fulfilled.    And like these trees, I will leave an impact on my environment after I am gone.

I hope that you are seeking God to find the purpose He has for your life.    I can’t promise there won’t be any storms, but I know that His purpose for your life is good.   “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)

For those of you who haven’t yet discovered your God given purpose on earth, you can start on the journey of discovery by finding out what your Kingdom gifts are.   The tool gifttest.org will help you find your motivational gifts.  These are the God given gifts you received at birth which motivate you to look at things a certain way.   In addition, there are the gifts that Jesus gives the church (sometimes referred to as the five-fold ministry gifts) which everyone receives a little bit of when they choose Jesus.   You will find them listed in Ephesians 4:11 and 12.  Finally, there are the gifts of the Holy Spirit, which are listed in 1 Corinthians 12:4-11.    All three of sets of gifts complement one another and together create a unique you.

In addition to the Kingdom gifts, there are your DNA gifts.   The things passed down to you from your family that make some things easy for you.   Perhaps you are good at math, or creative, or you are an excellent organizer, or maybe you come from a few generations of doctors.    Whatever you are naturally good at is another clue to your God given purpose.

When you combine the kingdom gifts with your DNA gifts, you should begin to see what the Lord might have planned for you to do.    Of course, there are many more things that can help you find your purpose, but these should get you started.   

Don’t forget prayer!   God wants you to find your purpose and fulfill it, so spend some time asking Him about it. Like the trees I described earlier, you will impact many for good when you fulfill your purpose.

Blessings,

… Gayle