When Laura and I lived in Okinawa, Laura wanted a conch shell badly. She went to the ocean to find one. Finding a shell like what she wanted was impossible just sitting on the beach. A friend told Laura, he had seen one since he was just out snorkeling. Laura took him up on the offer, so our friend dove deep into the ocean and came up with a beautiful conch shell.

Almost everyone has been to the beach and casually walked around picking up shells that washed ashore. A few people enter the surf to find the shells as the waves bring them in. An even smaller group of people go to the ocean to find a specific kind of shell.

God has a purpose for us, but it takes effort to draw it out. Part of the process is seeking the reason you were born. God’s Word says, “The purposes of a person’s heart are deep waters, but one who has insight draws them out” (Proverbs 20:5).

It has been said, the second most important day is your birth, but the most important day is when you discover why.

God doesn’t make all your problems or temptations go away, but He invites you into a purpose greater than your problems.