Chapter 21

Four Stages of Purpose

The farmer had never told Josh his name, but for some reason Josh felt as though he had known him all his life. His gray hair, mustache, and clothes made him appear old, but as Josh looked closely at his face for the first time, he noticed that it shined with a youthful radiance, and his blue eyes lit up when he talked about purpose.

“You have already been through the first stage,” the farmer said. “It is a stage that lasts until a person decides to plant his or her seed. It is the stage of preparation. The preparation stage includes your birth, the family you were born into, your weaknesses and strengths, gifts, passions, the place you were born, and the experiences, challenges, and the lessons you have learned throughout your life that prepare you to be planted.

“It is this stage that makes you unique and provides you with the characteristics that determine what you will grow into and become. During this stage, you will likely experience adversity of some kind that prepares you for your calling. Just as you can’t know what light is without experiencing the darkness, how can you know the joy of living your purpose without the experience of struggling to find it?”

The farmer then reached down and grabbed some dirt and cupped it in the palm of his hand and showed it to Josh. “Adversity, for many, features a time of drought,” he added. “Drought might include a time when ideas, money, good fortune, contacts, and success dry up. It might include a job loss or the death of a loved one or a personal illness. It might include a time of great uncertainty and fear. During such times, you feel like you are in a desert, isolated from the prosperity, health, and success of the world—thirsty and hungry for something to sustain you but hopeless and despairing because you are stuck in the sand and wondering how you are going to get through this.

“However, when you progress to the other stages of purpose and look back at the preparation stage of your life, you’ll realize it was the drought that made you the person you are today; your greatest challenge likely served as the preparation to help you live and share your greatest purpose; and the worst event of your life prepared you for the greatest assignment of your life.

“Just as the roots of a plant in an arid climate dig down deeper in search of water, your personal drought causes you to search for answers and a source of strength. And it is this struggle and searching that creates a willingness within you to be planted.”

“I couldn’t agree more,” Josh said. “During the past year, everything dried up. My ideas, passion, success—it all came to a halt. I know it wasn’t a severe drought, but the last year has definitely been dry.”

“Droughts are droughts. Some are less severe and shorter in duration than others, but they all lead you to a different place. Where did your drought lead you?” the farmer asked.

“It led me to you,” Josh answered with conviction. “It led me to search for my purpose. It led me to my past and the decision to plant the seed at my current job.”

“And by planting yourself in your job, where do you hope it will lead?” the farmer asked.

“Honestly, I’m hoping it will lead me to feel more passionate and purposeful about work,” Josh said, recalling his conversation with George. “And if my bigger purpose can find me as a result, then that would be the ultimate gift.”

“I’m glad you said that, because you are about to enter the second stage of purpose, which is the planting stage,” the farmer said as his face and blue eyes lit up. “The preparation stage prepares you for the planting stage. It helps you find the right place to plant. It prepares you to be planted, and it often presents a defining moment that prompts you to decide where to be planted. Did you have a defining moment?” the farmer asked.

“I did. I met a man on an airplane who told me a story about his life, and I knew it was a sign to guide me in my life.”

“Yes, I love the way signs have a way of connecting people on their journeys and providing direction for both. For you, the defining moment was a conversation. For others, it might be a crisis, an illness, a moment of prayer, advice from a friend or stranger, a positive feeling, a conviction in your heart, or a sign that lets every cell in your body know what you are supposed to do. Regardless of what the defining moment is, it is a moment when you decide to plant yourself where you are.

“During the planting stage, you realize it’s not about what others want you to be. It’s not even about what you want yourself to be. It’s about what you were created to be. You see, Josh, the seed must surrender its own vision and desires as it is placed in the ground. It must die to itself so it can give life to something greater—something that will rise up from the ground and grow beyond its humble origin. Whether you work for a company, a hospital, or a school, whether you’re an entrepreneur, an athlete, an artist, a singer, or a stay-at-home parent, whatever role you have in life, you decide to plant yourself where you are and you decide to become all you can be in the service of others. Once you plant yourself, then you proceed to the next stage, which has yet to play out for you. It will be an exciting and challenging journey for you, but through all the ups and downs I want you to remember it’s all part of the third stage of purpose, which is the growth stage.”

“How long does the growth stage last?” Josh asked.

“It depends on each person. I can’t tell you for sure. Only the designer of the seed and the seed know what it is meant to become and how long it will take to grow and how high it will reach.

“But I can tell you that when you decide to plant yourself, you will begin to grow almost immediately. In this stage, the seed gives birth to the plant. This is where you grow and your roots spread. You will experience all the right conditions to ensure your growth. Beginner’s luck happens here. The right people show up and the right situations present themselves in order for you to grow. When you surrender and decide to plant yourself, God will move heaven and earth to ensure your growth so that you will be able to experience the final and fourth stage.”

“But growth isn’t always easy,” Josh said. He had heard enough of his dad’s sermons to know that growth is a by-product of both uplifting and challenging experiences.

“Indeed,” the farmer said. “You are certainly a wise young man. During the growth process, you will experience events that help you soar to new heights, but you will also face adversity and challenges that strengthen your roots. You will experience nourishment that helps you grow in order to reach the final stage. And you will be pruned like a bush and experience things that appear to be setbacks but are really designed to help you fully grow into all you are meant to become. You will experience moments when you say, ‘I can do this’ and ‘I’m on the right path,’ and you will also experience challenges and face people who test your will and make you doubt yourself and your path.”

“I understand the challenges you are talking about,” Josh said. “My father always said that people often think blessings come in the form of nicely wrapped perfect square boxes, but often they come disguised as wrecking balls meant to crumble the world you know so you can rebuild your life with a new foundation of faith and trust. Sometimes we have to be knocked down so we can grow to greater heights.”

“Indeed,” said the farmer. “And you can’t grow to greater heights without the right foundation.”

“I know I’ll experience naysayers,” Josh said knowing that naysayers often chipped away at his foundation. “They are everywhere at work.”

“They are everywhere in life,” the farmer responded. “Remember, your purpose and faith must be greater than the opinions of others. You will also face the naysayer within. The critic inside you is far more dangerous and adept at crushing your dreams than anyone else: ‘Who am I to be leading others? Who am I to be doing this work. Who am I to be in this position of influence you might ask yourself?’ And during these times, your passion and desire to make a difference must overcome your fear and self-doubt. Also remember that God’s thoughts are greater than your thoughts and God’s plan for your life is greater than your plans. Trust more in God’s plan than your own limited thinking and you’ll accomplish more than you ever thought possible. You don’t have to be great to make a difference. You just have to serve with great desire, and if you do, God will help you overcome your doubts, bless you and bless through you so you can be a blessing to others.”

Josh reached down and picked up some dirt and felt the cold earth in his hand. He knew about self-doubt. Although he was confident in many ways, he had also experienced a lot of self-doubt throughout his life. “I’ll also face envy,” Josh said, knowing that self-doubt had often reared its ugly head when he compared his success to that of others. Whenever he didn’t think he measured up, he tended to become disappointed and disengaged.

“Never, never, never compare yourself to others,” countered the farmer. “The great enemy of growth is the belief that you don’t matter and that your growth doesn’t matter. Just because someone has achieved more material success and reached a higher status doesn’t mean they are more important than you. Everyone is on their own path. Everyone’s timeline is different. Each person has his or her own purpose and reason for existing. When you focus on your growth and reach the final stage, you’ll understand how important you are to the world.”

Josh remembered what his professor said about playing your own note, and he was struck by how everything in life works according to the same principles. Music, seeds, and human beings all have a rhythm and a process whereby the part contributes to the whole—a plant contributes to the ecosystem, a note to the symphony, a person to society. Everything does matter he thought. We all matter.

“Well, if I’m important to the world, then I’ll surely face obstacles,” Josh said, remembering all the stories his dad had shared through the years of overcomers who changed history and the world.

“Indeed,” said the farmer, “and it is these obstacles that will test you before you can enter the final stage. We live in a universe of duality: light and dark, up and down, hot and cold. All are part of the whole. As you strive to find your purpose, you’ll also encounter the resistance that keeps you from it—and the closer you get to realizing your ultimate purpose, the stronger the resistance becomes. Those who navigate the darkness to find their light reach the final stage. Unfortunately, far too many people give up in the growth stage. The tests become too powerful and overwhelming, and their will and faith falter. Sadly enough, many give up just as they are about to move to the fourth and final stage. If they had persevered throughout, they would have been able to experience the greatest feeling in the world.”

“What is the final stage?” Josh asked, desperately wanting to know and experience the greatest feeling in the world.

“I can’t tell you,” the farmer answered. “It is more powerful when you figure it out for yourself. But I can tell you that as you move from the third to the final stage, your vision and bigger purpose for your life becomes very clear. You may have a sense of this vision during the planting stage, and you may clarify it during the growth stage, but as you reach the final stage, you can articulate it in a sentence with extreme confidence.

“Once you know your purpose you tap into the power that fuels all of creation. You know your reason for being alive, and knowing and living this reason gives you the greatest feeling in the world.” With those words, the farmer walked toward the right-hand path and said, “I have another lost person I have to go help. But before I leave I want you to know that God has big plans for you. Don’t give up. You are very important to the world. Don’t, ever, ever, ever give up. Okay?”

“Okay,” Josh answered nodding his head.

“And don’t forget to come back and see me when you know what the final stage is,” the farmer said as he vanished into the maze.