“True Christian love helps those who can’t return the favor.”

I’d like, if I were ever to have a tombstone,  I’d like it to read, “I did it on purpose!”

Do you remember those days? When you use to say that phrase with perhaps a bit of a rebellious stance, casual hand limply tucked into one pocket, maybe even a little foot tapping away? It was probably about twenty, or thirty or forty years ago for you now so perhaps your brain is getting a little fuzzy about the facts. But trust me, you said it.

As children we did things, “On Purpose”  and we knew it because we were told, “No darling, that wasn’t an accident, you did it, “On Purpose”.  Quickly we learned that “On purpose” always added intense meaning to everything we did. And being self- preserving creatures at heart, we capitalized on this phrase for our own benefit. “On Purpose” soon became every elementary school child’s adopted term for saving face. Now do you remember?

Perhaps it was just me then…I was born with and extra measure of pride and carried in one elbow a very large funny bone, while my other bony appendages were filled with adventure. So as a child, when setting out into my day, something was bound to catapult those five words “I did it on purpose!” out of my mouth.

Usually I was doing something stupid like tripping over that small sightless spot in the ground, while walking in front of a large group of wonderfully sarcastic nine year old boys.  Then, having successfully received loads of laughing attention, I’d pridefully  say, “I did it on purpose!”  and proceed to finish off my odd dance with a cartwheel or stunt on the high bars, where I could be sure of saving face. Sure I was embarrassed, humiliated, and really wanted to climb under the sticky tarmac and hide. But my pride splashed against my sense of humor to push my stumble into stardom.

This is what it is to be  a Church planting “girl” and I hope to remain a girl forever.

When I forget the goofy-girl and simply become the woman, I forget to do my cartwheels amidst my daily stumbles. I focus instead on what Laundry’s not done, what job not completed, what task not ticked off.

Girls, there is a lot of stumbling along the sticky church planting tarmac. A lot of nine year old boys ready to scoff and snicker at any mistake. But doing what we do to the Glory of God and not for any human opinion, puts a new spin in our round off.   All we can do when setting out is say, “Father, help me do it “On Purpose” ….Eternal purpose.