Just an Insignificant Blip

My friend Lyra was consoling me on the loss of a friend because she is a compassionate person. As I shared with her my frustration with trying to understand those things we can never grasp, she listened. My mind could not accept that when a person dies, they are simply gone. The world continues on and it doesn't matter who you were or what you did while here on this Earth. When you die, the world does not stop on its axis and people go on living without you. Your age, societal contributions, and even your faith does not matter after your last breath. Sure, you may be remembered and perhaps even missed, but the world will indeed go on without you. Lyra listened and offered a comment in response that has stuck with me. She said “That goes to show you what an insignificant blip on the map this life here on Earth really is.” She went on to explain what she meant by the statement. What she was saying was that in the grand scheme of the forever that we Christians believe in, this life is such a minuscule period of time. That led me to the following question: Why are we here? Why did God decide to place us on Earth when his ultimate plan is to take us from here to be with him in Heaven? What is the point of this in between?

Most Christians will answer this question with the same general response. We are here in order to lead more people into a relationship with God before he returns so that they can be saved and join us all in Heaven. I am a Christian myself and recognize this is probably the most appropriate answer. It still doesn't answer the question I am asking.  Without getting too deep into the many paths my mind has taken on this specific subject, I will only tell you where I've ended up so far in this quest for truth.  The answer given above is correct but too broad. For each person, it is something different. To find our own purpose is the quest. That purpose is given by God but something we spend this life finding. Some are fortunate enough to figure it out early but for the rest of us, we flounder for much longer. Some find it in their last days and some may never reach it. While God desires for us to fulfill His purpose that he placed us here for, He doesn't always make it simple. The first step in the search is to accept Him as Savior. In your quest, you will grow closer to him because of both necessity and as a derivative of exploring life. Ultimately, we travel on faith in God. My journey has been filled with obstacles and bumps along the way even though it is only beginning but I am diligently Still Searching.

“For the Lord of hosts has purposed, and who will annul it? His hand is stretched out, and who will turn it back?” Isaiah 14:27