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Living a Life of Purpose: Finding Hope in the Broken and Hurting
I want to live on purpose, seeing past the faces of people scurrying by, forgiving the rude gesture, and assuming that maybe, just maybe, there is deep pain in someone’s life. Perhaps I could smile intentionally, sincerely, pay a compliment or just do something kind to bring a small joy to someone’s day.
A few months ago I took one of my daughters out for lunch. A man sat at the table next to us. Normal looking guy, ate a sandwich, read the paper, checked his phone, looked out the window. He commented about my baby, I said “thank you”, and we were getting ready to leave.
And then I saw it. Something in his face. I felt it.
“Are you OK?” (I never ask strangers that kind of question.)
He stared at me, then his eyes filled with tears, and he slowly–almost disbelievingly–shook his head no.
I asked him if I could pray for him and he shared with me, reluctantly at first, and then a bit more about his family. A pending divorce, attorneys, a custody battle–his whole world was…
