What if living out your purpose is simpler than you think?

Living out our purpose can feel unknown and scary at times. Today, I’m excited to welcome author Katherine Bryant to the blog as she shares about this topic and clarifies an area I think we make too complicated. Katherine has a new devotional called, Laughing at Funerals: Finding Good and God in Life’s Ups and Downs. This devotional was birthed out of Katherine’s obedience and courage to follow her purpose in the simple way she is sharing with us here today.

Over the past 22 years of teaching, I have witnessed my fair share of fashion trends come and go, everything from apple bottom jeans to boots with fur.

I’ve also seen a few trends from my own childhood make a roaring comeback.

Take, for instance, the Air Jordan by Nike.

Jordans have become all the rage again, but not for the reason you might imagine. I learned this recently when I heard a student telling a friend that he had on his Jordans, but not to worry, he brought his Crocs to wear during PE.

Wait—what?

“Christon, let me get this straight—you wear your Nikes with crease protectors to school, but you bring Crocs to wear while you play basketball?”

“I know, Mrs. Bryant, back in your day . . . “

“Yes, yes, when the dinosaurs roamed the earth. Please, continue.”

“Well, back in your day, you bought Jordans and played basketball in them.”

“Correct . . . as Michael intended.”

“Yeah, well, we don’t do that.”

Christon went on to explain that these days, kids want to keep their Jordans looking new, so they insert super uncomfortable crease protectors in the toes to keep that fresh-out-of-the-box look.

I can’t quite wrap my mind around the fact that kids aren’t using the shoes for their true purpose. If Nike designed Jordans as the ultimate basketball shoe, it seems like such a waste not to shoot hoops in them. They’re meant to be worn, used, and stepped on, but the guys are scared to let them get the tiniest crease.

Sometimes I wonder if I have the same fear when it comes to living out my own purpose.

While we all have different gifts and talents, our true purpose remains the same: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself.” Matthew 22:36-40

We all fulfill this purpose in various ways, big and small. It could be through delivering a meal to a sick neighbor, organizing a clothing drive, or doing everything we can to raise Godly children.

Ultimately, our goal is to love other people so that they might come to know God’s love for themselves.

Admittedly, loving others can be uncomfortable for us sometimes too. We may feel stepped on or rubbed the wrong way when we put ourselves out there, but if we continuously keep our love and gifts wrapped up in tissue paper tucked away in a box somewhere, we’re not doing what God created us to do.

So, what can you do today to live your purpose? What can you do to make someone else feel loved?

After all, loving our neighbor isn’t a fad, it’s a foundational part of being a Christian. At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter how we love others, it just matters that we do.

 Blessings,

Katherine Bryant

Living in the tension of joy in the midst of the hard stuff of life is an ongoing battle we all face…and will probably face every day of our lives here on earth. We struggle to find peace and hope when things go wrong, and life is broken. But happiness and hope aren’t impossible in times when life feels dim. As Proverbs 31:25 says, “She can laugh at the days to come.”

Katherine’s new devotional, Laughing at Funerals, will encourage your heart with truth and remind you that God is present and working in your life today and every day. I really love Katherine’s depth and down-to-earth writing style in this devotional. The length of each devotion is a few pages long and full of depth and practical application to your own life. I already found myself nodding as I read the very first one. You can grab your copy of Laughing at Funerals on Amazon here.

In the midst of coordinating carpools, planning engaging English lessons, trying to tame her curls, and attempting, unsuccessfully, to get the mud out of white baseball pants, it was easy for Katherine to lose sight of God in the middle of the chaos of everyday life. But the truth is, He’s always there, we just have to know where to look.

In this collection of 31 inspirational stories full of the wit and wisdom she has gained over the years as a mother, wife, teacher and friend, Katherine shares what she has learned about God’s everyday closeness and how we can find comfort and laughter even in the toughest of circumstances. Each story is paired with an encouraging and uplifting scripture to carry with you as you take on the ups and downs of daily life.

Insightful, heartwarming, and occasionally laugh out loud funny, these devotions remind us of God’s promises and His continual presence in our lives.

Katherine Bryant is a wife, mom, teacher, daughter, and friend just trying to figure out who she is, what she wants to be when she grows up, and where God is leading her. A graduate of Furman University and the University of South Carolina, she loves a cozy hooded sweatshirt, Papermate Flair pens, and a little coffee in her creamer.

Known for laughing at inappropriate times, Katherine loves to entertain her family and friends with a good story. Her ultimate goal is to remind us that God is always with us, all we have to do is pay attention.

She lives with her husband and sons in Columbia, SC. Follow her on Instagram @Laughsatfunerals, or subscribe to her blog at Katherine-Bryant.com.