What a beautiful gift life is

I think about people, with all our diverse talents and gifts. Some born to lead, others to nurture and serve. None above the other, all part of this wild, intricate gear board. Every gear matters. Every part must move in harmony for the whole to function.

"Why are we here?" What is my purpose?"

Solomon, the wisest man to ever live, asked that too. He went searching for meaning in everything under the sun. (Literally everything. You have to go read Ecclesiastes, it's a good one) Wisdom, pleasure, wealth, toil, laughter...he tried it all.

And his conclusion?

"Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is man's all." -Ecclesiastes 12:13

He found out that the beauty wasn't in chasing purpose, but in walking it out with truth and humility. Trusting that even if we don't fully understand the why, we're here.

So make it work. Sand down the sharp points. Oil the rusty bits. Get the gears turning.

Be part of the whole

Use your gifts. Not to shine brighter than others, but to shine alongside of them, each of us a branch on the Vine, a part of the plan.

"I am the Vine, you are the branches, He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing" -John 15:5

One day, when we're no longer confined by this mind and body, we'll understand.

Picture from the Alaska kids

pickled cucumbers and peppers

Last of the berries