My first call as a minister was as an Associate Pastor at a Presbyterian Church in Sun City. I remember a couple who had recently retired and moved away from their life as it had been, their children were spread far and wide and they came to Sun City and settled into their new home, found our church and became church members. For about six months that was great, they enjoyed the leisure time but the day I came to visit they told me they both were restless, they were getting on each other's nerves being around the house so much and knew they needed to invest themselves in something else. The best way to describe what they felt was in this intriguing question from salesman Zig Zigler:
“Are you a wandering generality or a meaningful specific?”
For this couple it wasn't enough to wander around the house looking for something to do. He became a handyman and she joined the sewing circle, and they both took the Laubach training to help people learn to read.
The Biblical story tells of the people of Israel who experienced god speaking to them in the wilderness of Sinai. The Lord said to Moses, “Tell the children of Israel that if they will hear and obey my voice and keep my commandments, they shall be a special treasure to Me above all people.” No longer would they be wandering generalities, but those called to a specific purpose—to love and serve God in the world. Someone has said that a person's greatness lies in that which has been given him or her to do. I believe God always gives us a purpose in life no matter how old or young we are, no matter what challenges we face—all that doesn't matter. We each have something to contribute, some way to make a difference. Love calls us from insignificance into significance, from wandering generality to meaningful specific.
I believe that it is part of our humanity that from the moment we are born we are always seeking to be a meaningful specific. To love and be loved is to become a meaningful specific to our family and our friends. We want to be a meaningful specific in our work; we don't usually like it when we are just another worker bee. The Beatitudes Campus seeks to be a meaningful specific in the community around us to make a difference in bringing purpose and hope to people. You don't have to be a missionary in Africa, or preach like Paul—there are a myriad of wondrous ways to serve your purpose and it can be as simple as being kind and loving. YOU are a meaningful specific and we are grateful for what you bring to our community.
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