I was caught off guard by someone at work. I didn’t expect what they said or how they said it. It didn’t make sense. I knew I shouldn’t take it personally, because I could tell by the interaction that it was more about the other person’s struggles, insecurities, and defensiveness than anything to do with me. But still…
It left me unsettled even at the end of the day. I tried to let it go, but it was as if a cloud hovered around me. But I had plans for someone to come to my house that night, and I pushed through. It was exactly what I needed.
Without thinking about it much, I slipped away from that cloud. It’s not as if I was ignoring what had happened as much as I was placing it in context. I didn’t need to focus on it or make it into something that spoke more loudly about or to me than it did.
Context matters. It places a detail in a broader truth. Sometimes it speaks in loud, alarming ways. We are faced with a truth we’d rather buried in excuses and rationalizations. Other times the broader truth soothes and reassures us. Either way, the truth God provides—when we seek and listen—guides and grows us well.
Take a step back today. Take a step forward. Sidestep and look at things with an ever-so-slightly-different perspective. Trust God to show you the truth of who you are, where you are, and what is next.
Pure Purpose 