Unwritten

Have you ever had someone ask you a question that you just were not ready for? Maybe they asked you to do something that caught you off guard. I remember a time this happened to me. My wife, Melissa, and I had been married for a little over two years.  We were at a celebration for something, a party for someone…all those details are vague, but her request…that, I remember.

In the middle of the party, in the middle of a conversation, someone asked Melissa about one of our family members.  And my wife says, “Oh, they’re doing fine.  In fact, I have a recent picture.”  Then without missing a beat, she looks at me and asks, “Honey, will you go into my purse and get that picture?” Seems like a simple request, should be no problem. However, you should know that at this point in our relationship, I had been asked to go get her purse before; I had even been asked to carry the purse.  However, I, as a man, did not have the proper training to open the purse and find anything! In my mind, I thought you needed a degree, or special training or at least some kind of manual.

 Why was this a dilemma for me? Well, let me be honest.  As a man, I don’t know what all is in the purse, and I don’t want to know!  In addition, for my wife to ask me to retrieve something out of it caused me stress.  I immediately began to wonder… “So, how do you find something in the purse…is there a filing method? Is it organized by most used items first? Is it alphabetical? Because, one thing I do know, there is a lot of stuff in the purse; and somehow, by, what I can only assume is God Given magic female powers, out of that purse, my wife can retrieve whatever is needed, when it is needed. And, if there is something that I can’t find or I am in need of, I have learned to ask my wife, when she’s holding her purse, cause I figure “hey…you never know. ”  

I first observed the mystery and the power of the purse when our first child came along. With the child came the “diaper bag.” Now the diaper bag I had no problem with.  I often carried the diaper bag; sometimes I filled the diaper bag, and took things out of the diaper bag. And… I even changed my share of diapers!

One day, we went out shopping and Melissa asked me to bring the diaper bag and make sure it had diapers.  I said “OK” and away we went. As we were shopping, a moment came in which it was evident that our little two year old needed a diaper change. We knew this because other people in the Mall began to make faces and move away from us as we walked toward them.

Melissa found a place for us to change our little one, and I did my duty to open up the diaper bag and get the diaper. However, when I opened the bag, it was empty.  And I was the one who was supposed to make sure it was stocked with diapers.

I sheepishly told Melissa of the dilemma, and let her know I was sorry. My amazing wife looked at me and said, “Oh, no problem, I think I have a spare.”

I watched with amazement as she effortlessly reached into her purse and pulled out a diaper. The emergency was thwarted and I was off the hook.

As well, I once again was in awe of the power of the “Purse”!

Ladies, this is why men do not want to get stuff out of your purse.  Besides being afraid of what’s in there, we are also afraid we will mess something up!

Here’s the point: As complex as the workings of a woman’s purse is to a man, it is nothing in comparison to the complexity of the world we live in.  And just like I honestly feel some anxiety when asked to get something out of my wife’s purse, I think we all, as humans can feel overwhelmed, even stressed at times when we experience the complexity of life and wonder…where do I fit in? We can begin to ask, “Do I even matter? Does my life even count? What is my purpose? Well, I believe there are answers to these questions, and the best place to begin is in listening and reading a thought given to us by God, our Creator.

In Jeremiah 1:5, God says: 

Before I shaped you in the womb, I knew all about you.

Before you saw the light of day, I had holy plans for you.

Now that is a powerful truth we all need to embrace.  God made us with a holy plan. Think about that, we are not just an accident of nature; we are a well thought out creation of Almighty God.

 No matter where you are today in your life. No matter what you think of yourself, what other people think or say about you; whether you are up, down, battling depression, struggling in a relationship, facing a mountain of impossibilities… no matter how complex your life appears…whatever is going on in you…

You Matter, simply because God created you. Your life counts; God has plans for you.

This truth can be alive in you today, simply by surrendering all you are and hope to be to the one who made you.

You Matter; God says so!