In the Gospel of Mark, the Lord tells His disciples the Parable of the Sower. (Mark 4: 10-23). I find this parable very thought-provoking.
I enjoy my frequent walks in the nearby field, and I like to observe how it changes at different times of the year. It is early Spring, the snow is melting, and little sprouts of the future crop are coming out; it is getting warmer, and the grains are getting bigger and ripening; it is late summer, and the harvesters are out to reap the crop. Now the field has fulfilled its purpose and is resting.
We, too, should have a purpose to our lives, and do all we can to live up to it. Yet some lives look more like an abandoned corner of a field overgrown with weed. People seem to be living them without a sense of purpose, and some may have given up looking for it. If they looked, they would find some good cause to keep them busy. If successful, they will be rewarded with a genuine sense of fulfilment inner peace. Not doing anything will keep them restless and dissatisfied.
While finding a purpose to our lives is paramount, our understandings of it may be very broad and create a lot of confusion. We might look around and conclude, with disappointment: "All these other people are the true achievers. Their lives are exciting, and mine is so uneventful." Instead, we should be looking for a purpose within ourselves, and we should ask God to give us the eyes and the wisdom to see it. God willing, we will find what we are looking for, and our lives will be complete. That way, any of the difficulties, sorrows or inconveniences we might encounter on our journey will not seem tragic or extreme.
These are some of my thoughts from walking in the field, which I hope you may also find relevant and useful. May God help us.
Priest Sergius Nezhbort
