Have you ever dreamt that you were being chased and no matter how hard you willed yourself to run faster your legs were like lead and your movements suspended in time? Although you are well aware that you have the potential to move beyond your current state, regardless of your efforts something leaves you helplessly immobile.

 

This dream plays out in real life for those of us who reach a crossroad that both marks the end of one journey and the ushering in of our true purpose and destiny. While our foresight anticipates the impacts of our revealed purpose, the transition phase often spawns frustration when we find ourselves dealing with the dichotomy of being filled with vast potential and intense aspirations, while simultaneously feeling stifled and uncertain regarding what to do next. This feeling can be described as Greatness Deferred; when you know there is more to life and you want it now. Period.

 

Beyond tangible success (like completing a degree or purchasing your first home) nothing compares to stepping into awareness of your capacity to contribute to life in a profound way. It’s when you discover that your life has a unique importance and that your talent, skills and abilities are distinguished. It is in this exact moment that you found your essence and knew unequivocally that your purpose was far more than you ever envisioned.

 

The Shift

Honestly I believe I can do more, take more chances …
“Lately, I’ve been trying to be honest with myself as far as bringing my passion and aspirations to fruition. Honestly, I believe I can do more, take more chances. At the same time I want to balance reality with making it happen. For example, ‘should I relocate to drive me closer [to my passion]’; ‘should I leave teaching and the comforts of my current life style to take a leap of faith?’….I get so overwhelmed and anxious at times.” – Crystal Caddell, Special Education Teacher and Professional Stylist

 

For some reason I have a burning notion that I am not living up to my full potential, I have some inkling that I am supposed to be great and doing great things…

I have both witnessed and experienced that uncanny paradox of feeling equally overjoyed and overwhelmed regarding purpose. For some, this newfound vision warrants intense research and planning, a return to college, rededication to Christ, a career change or even the sacrifice of another dream. Regardless, we emerge and take ownership of our Greatness and look for outlets and avenues to apply it within the world.

 

In many instances, we experience periods of cultivation and manifestation upon awakening to our destinies and enter into an unprecedented season of fruitfulness that further solidifies the core of our existence. For some, this period may have lasted a year or two, for others only months. Even more, some experiences are cyclical in nature and so one might find themselves passionate and driven at times while disconnected and distracted during others. Speaking candidly to her friends via e-mail one sister shares, “At the beginning of last year, I was filled with a spirit of newness and motivation…However, once things slowed down enough for me to actually examine where I was and where I wanted to go, I realized there was a blank picture.” – Kimberly Avis, Hedge Fund Accountant, New York

 

Despite our intentions, many of us somehow find ourselves in a holding-pattern where we are rich with desires but desperately seeking clarity regarding further direction. Markeisha Jordan, Health Services Administrator, shares an exasperated introspection – “For some reason I have a burning notion that I am not living up to my full potential, I have some inkling that I am supposed to be great and doing great things…I haven’t prayed about it yet, but it’s killing me softly. Most days I am like, ‘this can’t be it’…but how do you find what you don’t know you are looking for?”

 

When the aroma of our destiny infuses the air so much we can literally taste it, the challenge becomes how to identify a course of immediate action and application. When that path is not revealed, we find ourselves with what might seem to be a defunct mission as our Greatness continues to defer its manifestation.

 

The Waiting Game

Wait. Be still and know that I am God. These are consolations that many of us can not readily accept. I have all these talents, gifts and abilities and you want me to sit down…please? There is a stark contrast between that season of fruitfulness at the onset of recognizing your passions and the waiting period that often follows. So we must recognize that it is what we do in the interim that will shape and sharpen our future callings.

 

I too have felt the sting of desperately needing more and becoming frustrated with waiting to know my next steps because I had become so accustomed to patterning them myself. Despite my irritation and prayers of desolation, I finally stopped to listen to God and his particular response was least expected – “be still; do nothing.”

 

While I anticipated a command for direction, my answer of all things was to sit still and allow God to bring it to me. That is a very foreign concept for most ambitious women and I find that I have to continually remind myself of this essential revelation each day in order to maintain some sense of sanity.

 

You will not always have a specific course of action. It is assumed that once God unveils your purpose you become accountable for manifesting them, but what I had yet to completely accept is that ¬ God-ordained Greatness will be manifested irregardless of our efforts. Essentially, it is not completely ours to own in the first place. Whatever skills, abilities, gifts and talents that we are afforded are provided not for the sake of our own fulfillment, but for the greater purpose of contributing to this world. So our faith must supersede our temporal expectations.

 

In The Meantime

Being quiet and still is a virtue; it’s a character trait that is almost never innate. So, what does that mean for us? God specifically told us that faith with no works is futile, so isn’t it a contradiction to believe that God would tell us not to move? Well, it’s all in how you interpret the concept of “being still.” Being still could very well mean that you are required to cease your program just long enough for God to provide you with his not necessarily fast-tracked, approach. Being still could also mean that your concentration becomes your mental, emotional and spiritual health and not the immediate physical execution of your passions. Who is to say that God is not readying you for your destiny during your period of waiting?

 

Therefore, in the meantime we should pray that God prepare us for whatever is next and to open our hearts, minds and souls to being receptive to His direction. Use the silence to get to know yourself more intimately so that you are able to discern your voice, God’s and outside influences. If you haven’t fully grasped who you are and how you matter, it is impossible to be productive in making an impression on the world. It is also very important to partner closely with those individuals that God placed in your life who support and excite your passions. We are to edify one another; iron indeed sharpens iron.

 

Don’t vacillate and become blind-sighted by your own uncertainties – you were absolutely right, you do matter and yes your contribution is absolutely significant. And those rich feelings of purpose and distinction that gnaw at your soul and capture your breath are as real as they come, you’ll see.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2 Responses

1. 
   

   Abisola

   March 12th, 2009

   This article was absolutely awesome and extremely timely. I am currectly facing this issue of being “rich with desires but desperately seeking clarity regarding further direction.” I have felt as though I was being dormant and lazy in not doing anything towards my purpose. My dad recently said the same as this article. He stated that perhaps this is a time in which I just need to really get in tune with God and what He would have for me to do. Preparation prevents poor performance in the long run! Thanks!

2. 
   

   siante newell

   April 14th, 2009

   a-ma-zing. Beyond insightful writing.

   God Bless

   ~Newell

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