Understanding the Intention, Goal, and Purpose of Not Being Dead

Rick Warren quoted "If you are alive, there's a purpose for your life."

Rick Warren is the author of the award winning book titled The Purpose Driven Life. I had the opportunity to read this book before, but perhaps it was not the time. Today, it is being read and discussed at the Bible study group where we congregate, and we are really enjoying it. I recommend this book of 42 chapters to be read as a daily devotional. The book is written based on truths from the Bible used to explain God's five purposes as it helps us answer the question: "What on Earth am I here for?"

Every day I try to become more aware of the purpose for the life I am living. Rick Warren's book is being a great advance as I approach the answer to "What on Earth am I here for?"

I try to understand the differences between concepts. Analyzing concepts keeps us away from living like robots. It helps us to plan. When we plan, we stay physically and emotionally organized. When we meditate in concepts we may understand the answer to "What on Earth am I here for?" Concepts such as:

• Intention implies little more than what one has in mind to do or think about. Sometimes stopping before acting is very important. Giving a quick meditation and seeking our heart's desires may prevent bad attitudes, decisions or acts.
• Goal suggests something attained only by prolonged effort and hardship. Every New Year we settle up some goals; these may become our stress if they are based on unreality. Accomplishing them or changing them determines levels of our maturity. Sometimes we just walk away from them to evade the effort they take.
• Purpose suggests a more settled determination. This is our reason of not being dead.

Not being dead means that we think, that our heart beats, that our body is not in putrefaction, and that we may use our six senses, or some of them.

Living is not only about working to pay bills. Living is not only about cleaning a house. Living is not only about having entertainment. Living is more than all that. Those are some aspects of being alive. I am not dead and I need to know, feel and understand that I am living life. I want to keep answering "What on Earth am I here for?"

I am usually looking up at the sky or admiring nature and things around me. Using our eyes, smell, touch and brain is necessary to enjoy life; as we explore our environment. This is another way to search the answer to "What on Earth am I here for?" This is why I was able to observe the beauty of the moon on Thursday 17, 2013, which I had no knowledge that a partial lunar eclipse was announced for Friday October 18 at night. A big rainbow colored ring was around the moon; it was an amazing view.

The next morning at six a.m. I invited Froggy213 to the Posita of Piñones (a natural saltwater pool), since we were alive; and to take some photos. We needed to get out of four walls and become Internet free, we needed a "What on Earth am I here for?" trip.

On the way, I noticed that being a Friday not so many people were outside. The traffic was very poor, and no student was on their way to school.

When we finally reached the coast everything was human desert, the sky was very cloudy and the waves were briskly hitting the shore. At the front of the beach there are kiosks that sell fritters and they were closed, when usually by that time they are at least starting the fire to fry.

Nobody, only us, had arrived to the wondrous beach. "What on Earth am I here for?" is not about only one thing; it is an accumulation of facts, feelings, desires, thoughts, acts and internal events... and more so, many spiritual situations occurring that we aren't even aware of them.

We appreciate the blessing of our senses, because they really help our faith as we experience with joy God's creation. Our senses help us as we answer "What on Earth am I here for?"

My dear mother calls me at seven am every day, or I will call her if she delays to do so. I am still her daughter and she cares for me, and that is not bad until she hears that I am out on the beach. She cried "Oh, my goodness what on earth are you doing when a tsunami has been announced?"

The ideas or guesses of something that is not known may take the joy of living to some people, not to me. Don't let speculations steal away your movements of the fulfillment of life.

With the worldwide practice on October 17th of the Great Shakeout Earthquake Drills, it left speculations and terror on some Puerto Ricans. The weather was weird, but by no means was a call to stay under the bed more than what the drill took.

The strange fact is that nature has been wild in October, some of these facts are:

1. Mars was paired up with Regulus, the lead star of the constellation Leo the lion.
2. The comet ISON passed near Regulus.
3. Venus was above the star Antares.

Our environment includes those external things that should not affect our internal peace, strength, or joy. Each one of us have the freedom and capability to self-control. We accept things from the environment and those we do not want we learn how to deal with them. Our environment does not have the power over us, unless if we permit it.

Life here on Earth eventually ends in death... a worldly absence, because God has promised life after death to those that follow His ways of living.

Death is around us all the time, but that is no reason to waste life in vain things, neither to be frightened. We do need to take some precautions, but it will not free us from dying. Death is a natural process for each living thing. This truth should not intervene with our life purpose either.

When we arrived from our "What on Earth am I here for?" trip I uploaded the photos. I was shocked to notice that a ray was very near us. Although some may believe that they are still dangerous beings, stingrays are animals calm and friendly with humans. The stingrays have few natural predators and humans represent the main threat. They attack only in their defense.

We didn't know that the ray was there and we still did not recognize what type it was. The thing is that we were shocked thinking of what would have happened if we would have stepped upon it.

The absence of information cannot steal us the joy of living, we are exposed to harm, and danger even within our own home.

On our way back home I also observed that to the East it was dark and cloudy. To the West it was sunny and clear. Life is like that, we will have sad and unpleasant experiences when we do not see light to our decisions. We will have other moments where life is smiling to us.

Getting lost is impossible on this Island. We wanted to take the longest road to get home, so we decided to get lost, like other times, but we ended up on the road I had lived on for a long period of time.

I have been answering "What on Earth am I here for?" and this incident sure let me understand that if you are focused in life you are never lost.

We are in the middle of reading Rick Warren's book The Purpose Driven Life. I will never end answering "What on Earth am I here for?" The book is very helpful but, learning and achieving understanding an everyday activity... I do know that:

The need to express love is the greatest blessing of not being dead. Being grateful is to give from what we have...and all those acts of love is what being alive finds its purpose. I know that staying focused will keep us on the right tract.

Be content with what you have, for God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." So say with confidence, "The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid."

Hebrews 13: 5,6

Blessings to all as we live and answer "What on Earth am I here for?"

© Maria Magdalena Ruiz O'Farrill