God has a plan for each one of us. One way to discern our distinctive life is from the perspective of discovering our “sealed orders” from Him.
Sealed orders, historically, referred to specific written instructions given, for example, to the captain of a ship regarding his destination or mission. They were not to be opened until a specified time or place is reached. They were then opened and followed.
God has given each one of us sealed orders for our lives. He invites us to open them by paying attention to the little everyday things that give us life. God comes to us in so many ways when we are still before Him. A key way for me has been to pay attention to God coming through my body as I pray.
Author Sheila Linn simply and profoundly describes this process: “When I am in touch with the special purpose of my life in carrying out my sealed orders, I have a profound feeling of consolation or rightness and my whole body relaxes. I believe the sense of rightness expresses itself physiologically because the purpose of our life is built into the very cells of our body” (Dennis Linn, Sheila Fabricant Linn, Matthew Linn, Sleeping with Bread, 21).
Discovering God’s special purpose for your life is a process. It’s impossible to anticipate everything we might encounter on the journey of following God’s will for your life, but there is one thing of which you can be sure – it will be take you to places you never dreamed.
-Pete
