The Gift of Purpose as Shown by a Paralyzed Man
We all have a purpose in life, even if you don't think you do
Dear friends,
We far surpassed our goal of achieving 100 individual five-star reviews on Apple Podcasts. Your kindness and words of support have brought literal tears to my eyes. Your messages of how the show is impacting your life is also reminding me of how in simple ways, we can truly, positively, touch the lives of those we’ll probably never know the names of.
One review that really warmed my heart was from this listener last week:
Many of you message me across social media with questions about the strange times we live in. I wish I was a saint and could give you the answers to rid you of your anxiety, temper your fears, and cure your sadness. The truth is that I’m just an observer of the same world you live in, I just happen to live in the center of the universe- Beverly Hills (if you’re not laughing I can’t help you with that).
I do happen to see many people asking about purpose; why am I here? What is my purpose? Questions we all have. Surfing the amazing internet, however, I do see stories every day that help me add a piece to that mysterious puzzle.
According to this piece from The Good News Network:
Carrying around a rented camera searching for stories, Nandu Ks found nothing very interesting until one day he came to a bridge.
I was always keen to capture images which had a story to tell, images which had life.
The old man was N. S. Rajappan, and he’s been plucking plastic bottles from the river for years to earn a meager living. Paralyzed since the age of five when he was struck with polio, his daily routine has kept the waterways of Vembanad Lake clear of plastic—all from the seat of his small boat.
Without crutches, the 69-year-old would drag his legs a short way down the riverbank to the Meenachil River, after which he was free to wander the waters in search of bottles.
Wow. I mean really WOW. I don’t even like going to the fridge when I stub my toe! The piece continues:
From the bridge that day, Nandu witnessed people throwing bottles into the river, while underneath a smiling Rajappan scooped them up.
Filling his boat with plastic only earns him about Rs 12 (17 cents), but it’s enough for a meal—and it’s satisfying to know he is helping the environment.
“Somebody should remove the waste from the water… I am doing what is possible for me,” he told a local news outlet.
This is a modern story of a person choosing to embrace their calling instead of using their challenge as an excuse to turn away from the world. This also reminds us to be thankful for what we have in our life. One man’s trash is another man’s ability to feed himself.
I think Rebbetzin Leah Kohn at Torah.org also truly hit the nail on the head:
Thus, unique within the entire panorama of living things Adam, alone, bears God’s image – and this differentiates him from all other creation. His divine soul makes Adam an essentially spiritual entity, albeit one contained in a physical body. As the image of God on earth, Adam epitomizes the very purpose of Creation, which is to transform the physical world into a dwelling place for the Divine. In order to fulfill this mission, Adam is to maintain a relationship with God, and to promote His authority over the earth and mankind. The relationship between Creator and Created, however, is not automatic, but is Adam’s responsibility to initiate, of his own free will.
We all have a purpose in life, even if you don't think you do. I might be a simple human who doesn’t know many things, but my friends, you can take that to the bank.
Your humble servant,
Ben Stein
P.S. Don’t miss my appearance on the Lions of Liberty podcast!
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