A Purpose In A Poisoned Culture
My Eyes Were Opened So I Could Truly Start Living!
As I venture into the world or freelance writing, I came across a platform called Vocal Media. They don’t pay a lot, infact, aside from a couple small tips, I’ve only earned 53 cents in six months!
The real money isn’t in your views though, it’s in the writing challenges!
I finally braved over to scan Vocal’s writing challenges and I found one titled, “Create Your Happiness”. As I read over the requirements, I find they’re looking for a story of our favourite to-do’s, scissor crafts and Art projects. Being a mother of 4, I figure this should be simple enough! I spent weeks trying to focus on these things and come up with something fun and engaging that others could replicate or appreciate. As the timeline for this challenge begins to draw to an end, I realized, I’m just not that shallow anymore. Happiness, for me, runs much deeper than any hobby could uncover.
So what is happiness?
Who am I? Why am I here? What is my purpose?
These are lifelong questions, that people of all cultures and walks of life ask every day!
Coming from a ‘broken home’, I’ve struggled with depression most of my life. At 19, I found myself quickly thrust into parenthood and adulting!
As those around me fell away into their unburdened lives, still partying and travelling on a whim, I used to feel as though I missed out on my opportunity for living and enjoying life, simply because I had my children so young. I felt like it would be decades before I would get that chance again. The chance to explore who I am, find and follow my passion – see the world. I couldn’t very well go back to school for a career while raising 3 children – not unless I left them behind and sacrificed their lives for mine!
Now what?
One day, I realized, as much as those things were something I wanted to eventually still do – they’re not what makes a life worth living.
In 2020, Covid-19 hit the world, and life – as we knew it – stopped! Amidst my boredom, I found myself digesting The Bible like never before and growing ever closer to God. I began to question life more than ever before. During this year, I’ve experienced a deep awakening in my soul, and a deeper yearning to know Him. I even found myself challenging my own church on the stance they were taking during this time.
We’ve had another child and, thanks to this ‘pandemic’, have grown closer than ever before as a family! We’ve dived whole-heartedly into country life and homeschooling. For the first time, I feel like I’m getting to know ALL my children and we’re finally behaving as a family united, instead of simply existing within societal responsibilities.I feel this Homesteading journey is a lot closer to what was intended for us as human beings, than anything else we tend to do in our current culture.
What is more living, than growing and raising your own food, making your own health and beauty products and raising your own family?
People ask their whole lives – “What is my purpose in life?”
Is that not our purpose?
- To take care of and live off the land that God has provided and to raise the next generation to do the same.
- To love and be loved.
Or is it what society has told and taught us our whole lives?
- That we need to become the richest, or most famous, or most respected in an accepted profession that best supports our materialistic society.
- That we need to ‘get ours’ before someone else does.
Ultimately, you decide.
I was 29 years old when I finally found my purpose – my bliss!
Once I stopped listening to all the “have to’s”, and started listening to my heart, only then, was I able to find what I truly believed in without any compromise of self, and what I wanted to spend the rest of my life doing!
I never realized – I’d been doing it the whole time.
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Thanks for reading!
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Until next time,
- DW
