A New Purpose

“Who are you kidding?” Jake said under his breath as he trotted downstairs. Today was his first day taking over Dad’s position at work. It’d only been three weeks since he passed. Was he ready to take on the challenging task? Dad had prepared him for the past seven years to join the excavation team in Vienna, Austria, yet Jake didn’t feel adequate for the job. He had other plans for his life in Boston.

The work crew had already grown restless with the insufficient direction given by Dad’s business partner. Jake didn’t know what he was supposed to do with his life. He’d always been sure and confident in the choices he made. He felt like Moses when God asked him to lead the Israelites to the promise land and ended up wandering the desert for forty years.

Now Jake needed to step in and take on a leadership role after being absent the past year while he maintained his teaching position at Boston University. Not to mention everything else falling apart in his life at the moment. Broken relationships, unpaid extended leave of absence from the university, living abroad again, and dealing with the emotional turmoil of Dad’s passing.

Jake prayed this morning, but his mind still swirled with doubts. Sitting at a table beside the kitchen door with a mug, he sipped his black coffee and bounced his knee with the surge of caffeine along with his thoughts.

“Good morning.” Douglas, Dad’s closest friend, and prior colleague stepped into the dining area.

Jake ran his fingers through his hair. “Morning.”.

“You didn’t sleep well?”

“I had a restless night and a rough start to the day.” Jake sighed.

“You’re probably a bit overwhelmed with the expectations of fulfilling Henry’s position.”

Jake slouched in the chair and finished the last of his coffee. “I know Dad’s wishes and what he expects from me.” He stood and walked into the entryway. “I guess I’m struggling with the timing and God’s plans.”

“I understand.” Douglas picked up a book off the console table in the hallway.

Dad’s unexpected death shook Jake’s faith. Why did God take a faithful servant of the Lord? Jake reminded himself of the scripture verse, Isaiah 55:8, For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways. Jake believed and trusted God’s word, yet the why lingered in his mind.

 Douglas placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. “Henry wanted you to have this.” He gave Jake one of Dad’s work journals.

Jake opened the first page of the book and read:

Domgasse, Vienna. Day 911.

The crew gathered at 7 am and we prayed at the worksite. We dedicate our day to the service of the Lord. We continue to entrust all we do in His name, for his purpose and the fulfillment of His perfect plans.

Jake closed the cover, staring across the room. “It was the last entry he wrote.”

He knew his father well enough to guess the prior 910 days began the same. Dad gave everything over to the Lord- his work, marriage, parenting, relationships, and above all his trust. Jake needed to face the truth that he wavered in his faith and had neglected to study his bible. Whenever he withdrew from a personal relationship with God, he wrestled with doubt and wandered off the straight and narrow path. Life presents constant choices, daily, hourly, minute to minute, and he had an opportunity to choose his way or God’s way.

“The rest of the journal is blank. What will you write?” Douglas asked.

Jake gulped, glanced at the book in his hands, and looked at Douglas. “I’m far from the spiritual man my father portrayed with his life and the gift he had of helping others sort out their differences…”

“No one expects you to be Henry. You need to discover the man God wants you to be. Perhaps you’ve attained Henry’s position, like the bible states in the book of Esther, for such a time as this.”

A breath hitched in Jake’s chest. “Dad died so I’d realize my purpose?” Sickness stirred in his stomach.

Douglas tilted his head to one side. “I don’t claim to understand why God allows certain events to happen. All I know is the truth of Romans 8:28, that in all things God works for the good of those who love him.”

Jake took a deep breath. “And I’ve been called according to His purpose.”

“Indeed.”

A small smile built. “I’m positive Dad was welcomed into the Kingdom with the greeting of a well-done good and faithful servant.”

Another chance to decide to serve his own purposes or fulfill God’s plans for his life. Be a shadow of the man God fashioned him to be or step into the role and exclaim here I am, send me? It seemed like something he’d spend hours in prayer trying to decipher, yet new confidence took flight and soared inside him with the wings of an eagle.

Jake turned and strolled across the living room, grabbing a pen off the computer desk. He sat on the sofa, opened the journal, and wrote:

Ruhpolding, Germany. Day 912,

I dedicate every day to the service of the Lord and trust Jesus with my life.

It’s true, Jake didn’t walk the same spiritual path as Dad and didn’t have the years of life experience. The will of God eluded him most the time, but he was willing to pray and find out. Regardless of lacking understanding of God’s plans at the moment, Jake trusted in the sovereignty of the Lord.

Jake headed toward the front entry, slipped on his bomber jacket, and picked up the key for his R50 motorcycle. “I’ll see you later.”

Douglas leaned against the staircase railing. “Are you prepared to start your assignment?”

Jake shook his head. “Not really, but I’m ready for the beginning of a new adventure.”

Experience Jake Nolan’s journey in The Counterfeiter’s Daughter as he discovers God’s plans and purpose for his life.

Available July 5^th, 2020. Preorder now.  https://books2read.com/victoriamarswell

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