Finding New Purpose in Serving Others: My Story

Everyone has purpose, every single day.

“If you’re alive, there’s a purpose for your life.” – Rick Warren

There I was at a camp in miserable shape – unable to pick up my children or even manage to lift my own luggage! All that I could carry was my own pillow, just one. I was frustrated! I normally met a group of teenagers before sunrise each morning of camp to run before breakfast. Teens were not permitted to leave the camp without an adult, and I always loved our early morning runs. Now I could barely walk without pain!

Only two weeks prior to this youth trip, I had a back surgery to correct a bulging disc that caused constant pain down my left leg. I was not a happy camper, and the camp had not even begun yet!

Purpose is more than just what we can do physically. I already knew this truth, but often the distance between knowing truth and acting on it can be vast. Summer church camps have always been a favorite time for me as an adult. Strangely enough, I never experienced them as a teenager.

My first camp was as a camp leader at the age of twenty-six years old. And here I was at camp unable to do any of the physical activities that I normally did with ease. I could not unload luggage and help others carry their items to their room. I could not join the group for the early morning runs. I could not sign up for the volleyball tournament.

I could not even help with the task to put out and take up chairs in the worship room each night. I felt useless as a camp leader!

I sulked and had my own pity party the on first morning of camp. Instead of a run, I settled for a slow stroll on the beach. I shared my disappointment with God, and asked him to show me a dolphin to remind me of His love. Instead, my efforts to gaze out to spot a dolphin fin only got me closer to the water and a wave rolled up onto my dry tennis shoes! My irritation only rose higher.

That is when I saw it! A small fish out of water laying at my feet.

The fish must have come in with the wave but unlike the wave, it stayed on the sand flopping all around. “Oh, no! This fish needs to get back into the water to survive!”, I thought to myself. A second wave came back out and the fish used it to escape back into the ocean.

In that moment, God whispered into my heart to tell me that I was like that fish, throwing a fit out of water. God gently reminded me that I needed to stop flopping around and get back into ministry doing what I was created to do – serving others. The only problem was I did not yet understand what my purpose was for the camp that year.

My back surgeon had set restrictions that I had to follow – no bending over, no lifting over 5 pounds, or twisting of any kind. I prayed that God would help me understand my unique purpose because I felt like I could be of no use to anyone with my current limitations.

Immediately after breakfast, the head cook walked straight over to me. I recognized her from the breakfast line in the cafeteria, but I had never met her. She stopped in front of me and said, “I need you to pray for me this morning.”

She went on to add that when she saw me, she felt led to come share and ask for prayer. Later, my girlfriends, who were standing beside me at the time, jokingly said, “Bren, it’s like you had a sign on your head that read ‘prayer warrior.’”

I FOUND MY NEW PURPOSE! I was to be the prayer warrior for the week of camp!

I shared with the youth pastor, and he told the camp that if anyone needed prayer, they could come find me, and we could pray together. If they did not want to talk directly, they could leave me a note under my door. I was thrilled to have a purpose!

Mid-week can be a tough time at camp. When Jeremy caught my eye and motioned for me to go to him, I could see that he was upset. Jeremy had been one of the students in my small group in previous years, but this year was different. This year he was served as a camp counselor because he was now a college student.

He was exhausted and frustrated with the lack of sleep and lack of respect from his middle school group of boys that he was assigned to chaperone. He shared that he wanted to go home and asked for me to pray for him. I distinctly recall that my prayer was simple and to the point -“God give Jeremy eyes to see and the strength to meet the needs of those around him. In Jesus name! Amen!”

The next day I was summoned to come assist with a small medical injury in the camp first aid station. With my medical training as a physical therapist, I could assess small injuries and help with any sprains, aches, and pains. Suddenly the door flew open and the two youth pastors dropped a young kid at my feet.

He was all wet from being pulled by the rip tide out too far in the ocean. He was semi-conscious but not doing so well. We provided first aid and had to call 9-1-1 for assistance. After treatment was provided and the young boy had stabilized, I heard the door behind me open again. Someone else entered the room.

The youth pastors told the boy that he was fortunate that someone was there to help carry him back into safety. One of the youth pastors then said, “Let me introduce you to the man that saved your life today. His name is Jeremy.” JEREMY!

I thought the youth pastors were the ones who pulled the boy in from the water. But apparently as the first youth pastor swam out to help the kid, the water was over both of their heads and they were in deep trouble. It was Jeremy who saw them both and swam out to help bring them back into shore.

I grabbed Jeremy and told him that God had answered prayer! God had worked to provide purpose, gave Jeremy’s eyes the ability to see danger, and provided strength to meet the needs to help others. God has purpose even when we “feel” that we cannot meet the needs of others.

He desires for us to turn to Him and ask for help and then rely on Him to provide what we need to serve one another! His power is “made perfect in our weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9). Make yourself available to allow Him to work in you today! He has purpose for you too!