There I sat with a colossal mess! Dave came home and I sheepishly told him that I understood if he was upset. There was no blame coming from me if he was. And I led him to the chaotic mess in our backyard.

And he loved it! Not the mess so much, but the idea and where I was going. He was in line with the end goal. Now I had someone to help me take it from an idea to a reality.

He quickly suggested a couple more items that could help with the leveling and we started up the tractor. Away we went! By the end of the evening, we had something that looked much more like a level fire pit area complete with two boulder retaining walls.

If you begin with the end in mind, it helps to narrow down what you want to add or subtract in your life to help you reach the goal. Along the way, you just might run into someone, like my husband, who sees where you are going and can mentor you on the way.

Years ago I participated in a study of Rick Warren’s book “Purpose Driven Life.” During that time, I crafted a purpose statement for my own life. It goes like this:

My purpose in life is to reflect God’s character and further His loving purposes in the world around me.

I agree, that is a broad statement. But it is this broad statement that has guided my life and practices for many years. If I am considering a change, I filter it through this sieve. Along the way, this statement has been narrowed and tweaked, but for the most part, it remains constant.

If that is my end goal, how will I reach it? If I am to understand God’s character and his purposes for the world, I am motivated to read scripture, looking for those answers. And then ask myself: What part do I play in his story?

Read: Exodus 34:6-7; Psalm 86:15; Romans 2:4; 2 Peter 3:8-9; 2 Timothy 2:25-26

There are many other tools necessary to develop a sense of God’s character and his purposes. Hanging out in a community of people who love God is vital. Listening for God’s voice everywhere I go and then doing what he says cannot be ignored. Time in solitude and silence, reading spiritual writers, listening to music – all have played an important role in my development as a child of God.

Yesterday, I asked you to consider the question: What do you want to be true of you? Today I ask you to ponder what tools you need to get there? Does something in your life need to change? Something added? Something deleted? Do you need a mentor? Someone who shares your vision and can walk with you for awhile?

Remember, anything left to chance will disintegrate, not flourish.