What Were You Made For?

All of us were created with unique qualities, and we were not cut out for just anything. If you were made for the goals you pursue, the satisfaction and energy you gain from your daily activities will confirm your calling.

By Debbie

Somewhere in the Midwest on TheHopeLine Tour — it might have been Iowa or Nebraska — Tim stated something that has stuck with me ever since. After I had exclaimed how much I loved the tour we were on, Tim looked at me and said, "We were made for this."

I'll never forget that. Tim is like E. F. Hutton. When he talks, people listen — probably because he thinks before he opens his mouth. I love that about him. Truly wise is a person who thinks before he speaks and says something that sticks with you.

A few weeks later, Tim's statement came to life. I was made for days like day seventy-six of TheHopeLine Tour. The cool weather, intermittent sun, rolling hills, and beautiful scenery invigorated me. Mile after mile, I felt my burning muscles and the fresh air in my lungs. I was made for that. Not only did we relish a good dose of bicycling, we climbed up and down eight flights of stairs to the top of a fire tower to catch a breathtaking view of the vast Missouri landscape. It was a picture-perfect day. After a rest day and much sleep the night before to recover from a grueling stretch in the Ozarks, I had sprung back to my energetic self once again.

I'm amazed at how difficult that bike tour was and how long we'd been gone. Since we'd departed from the Oregon coast well over two months earlier, I'd had a cortisone shot in my knee, burned my foot with boiling water while camping, and been diagnosed with an overuse injury known as "chronic compartment syndrome," which kept me off the bike for two weeks. There we were on day seventy-six, approaching Cape Girardeau, Missouri, and the Mississippi River in mid-September, with many miles left to ride.

Nevertheless, I was made for physical exertion and adventures like that. My knee, foot, and leg had all healed. And so we carried on. Some people might think I should have had my head examined to determine what kept me going after all those issues on the road. Once again, though, I was made for that. Just because we had a few setbacks along the way didn't mean we should have stopped and given up.

If you are doing something you were made to do, you naturally want to venture forward in that made-for-you task you love. Even when hardships come, you persevere, because that is part of the process.

Not all of us are wired to bicycle seventy miles a day. For that matter, not all of us are designed to work outdoors in the winter, to practice law or medicine, to spend a lot of time in front of a camera, or to work with children. Have you ever asked yourself, What was I made to do? The answer to that question could change your life. We all have unique gifts and desires. Once you discover your special attributes and devote your time to utilizing them, you'll experience deep joy and fulfillment as you live out a facet of God's calling on your life.

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.

Jeremiah 29:11

Personal Reflection:

1. What are your strongest personal attributes? What subjects interest you most?

2. How are you applying your strengths and interests on a daily basis?

3. When you think about what you need to accomplish today, do you feel energized or exhausted? Activities you were made to do should energize you no matter how difficult they seem.

Perfect Circumstances Never Arrive

You cannot wait for optimal circumstances before moving forward. Nor can you allow discouraging circumstances to deter you. Your opportunity may have a short lifespan.

By Tim

I love lessons that come to us when we least expect them. Sometimes, you experience these moments merely by observing another person.

On our honeymoon on wheels tour, we enjoyed two nights at a beautiful cabin on the shore of Petenwell Lake in Wisconsin with our host and friend Mike Porter and his family. Then, Mike drove Debbie and me several hours through violent thunderstorms to return us to our route. He dropped us into Cascade, Iowa, under sunny skies. Life was good! After breaking bread with Mike at a local Subway, we resumed our southerly journey to avoid Lake Michigan and the metropolitan Chicago area.

Less than two hours into our ride, we noticed a solo cyclist approaching on a recumbent bicycle with a trailer in tow. Given our late start and our goal of making it to the Mississippi River crossing at Muscatine, Iowa, before nightfall, we didn't want to stop for a break already. However, our polite waves would not prevent the upcoming...