Walking with Purpose…or Not!

On a recent Saturday, the weather finally turned nice enough to go for a walk along the riverfront in nearby Dixon. Wasn’t all that warm—in fact, the breeze was cold—but the sun was out, the sky, blue, and a pretty good day, overall.

So, off we went—we, being my wife Chris, six-year-old grandson Nico, and I. We parked the car on the west end of Page Park, the plan as to walk to the Peoria Avenue bridge, cross the river, and continue east along the riverfront path. My goal is to walk at least two miles, five days a week, and this would meet that goal nicely. On the walk back, we intended to stop at a coffee shop/café that recently opened across from the high school.

Now, I had a straightforward primary purpose: get the heart pumping, the blood flowing, the body moving. I figured I could easily accomplish the secondary purpose—spending time with wife and grandson—while accomplishing the primary one.

A problem with my primary purpose arose rather quickly.

In less than a quarter mile, Nico started lagging, stopping to look at this, stooping to pick up that. Sticks lying on the ground became imaginary rifles. The playground issued a siren call, beckoning for a diversion on the slide and swings. The ducks and geese provoked questions; their droppings, too. Papa’s heart rate had yet to reach 80. This wasn’t an exercising walk; it was a stroll.

As every parent, or grandparent, focused on their purpose knows, the lollygagging little one obliviously raises the adult’s frustration level. “Come on! Let’s go!” becomes the mantra. The child steps up the pace at the parental prodding, until something lying on the ground captures his attention.

“Come on! Let’s go!” This time with a little more intensity in the voice.

Grammys can be so good at playing the role of mediator, can’t they? “Just remember, he’s six,” she patiently reminded me. Of course, I know that, and I do understand. But what about my frustrated purpose!?

At some point along the way, probably about the turnaround spot, it finally hit me (I tend to be rather slow with some things). I was on this walk with my purpose; the six-year-old had no particular purpose. I was on a get-your-heart-rate-up exercise walk; he was out for an afternoon stroll along the river with Grammy and Papa. So illuminated, I then could relax a bit. “My heart rate may not reach a sustained 125, but it’s more exercise than sitting at my desk,” says I, trying to convince myself to ease up.

The little guy then began to complain his legs were getting tired—at the half-way point! So, resourceful  Grammy came up with a good plan. “I spy something green!” she announced. And from that point to the coffee shop, we walked together with the same purpose: trying to guess what the spy spied! It worked. Not another word about tired legs.

After enjoying a sandwich and beverages—berry smoothie for the tyke; coffee for the old folks—we still had about ¾ of a mile to go on our walk. Crossing under the Peoria Street bridge along the riverfront path, we headed west toward the car; the light lunch seemingly boosted everyone’s energy level. At one point by the high school, the path becomes one with the narrow road coursing through Page Park. Again, Nico found a couple “rifles”—but they now were transformed into walking sticks to help him hike faster, he said.

A car approached from behind us, and we had to scoot to the edge of the road-path to let it by. Up ahead an occasional car parked in spaces off the road. Looking behind us, we saw another car coming, but quite a distance away and traveling slowly. All of a sudden, Nico announces, “One of us has to get to the next car up there before the car comes!” And off he went, running up the road (safely along the side). Naturally, that meant the old folks had to pick up the pace to try to keep up with him!

He made it; beat the pursuing car. But another one was coming off in the distance. “Gotta get to the next car!” he announced. And off he went! And off we went in a brisk-walking pursuit! I could feel my heart pumping faster; breathing a little harder.

The little game continued all the way back to the car. The entire way, we didn’t hear a sound about tired legs. No lollygagging. Nothing about the ducks and geese.

What made the difference?

At first, I thought the energy from the berry smoothie kicked in. That might have something to do with it. But upon reflection, it simply gave him the energy to develop and pursue a purpose. Heading east, he was a purposeless wanderer. Heading west, he charged forward with the purpose of beating every chasing car. Finally, our purposes dovetailed—for a little while, anyway.

Nico helped me remember the value and importance of “purpose.” Without it, we tend to wander aimlessly, lacking direction, void of motivation, passively existing. With a purpose in front of us, we have a reason to get up in the morning…a goal to achieve…a motive that drives us…a dream to follow.

I fear that too many of us lack a sense of purpose, that too easily we lose sight of why we’re here.

Some of the Apostle Paul’s purpose statements often encourage me to stop and ask myself if I’m living by purpose, or merely wandering aimlessly through my days. Here are a couple of his thought-provoking testimonies:

Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 3:13-14

But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.

Acts 20:24

So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.

1 Corinthians 9:26-27

If nothing else, I can get to thinking about “purpose” by meditating on the first question and answer from the Westminster Shorter Catechism:

Q – What is the chief end of man?

A – Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy Him forever.

This general, big-picture purpose for life informs and shapes and helps determine every other “purpose statement” I might write.

But does it?