Why I'm Here

Sometimes, after a person thanks me for helping them, I answer with the usual phrases everyone says, like "You're welcome" or "No problem," but sometimes, I follow it up with something that I am blessed to be able to say: "That's why I'm here."

And I mean it. I am here to help people. It's not just my job, as a writing tutor, to help people write better. It's not just my duty as a family member to help things run smoothly at home. It's not just my pleasure to make kind gestures to the people I love. It's my purpose. It's why God made me. It's why I exist. I am here, on Earth, to help people.

I consider myself extremely blessed to know that. Many people have searched for their entire lives to find their purpose. I was blessed to be born into a family and church that helped me find mine early on. Over the course of my life, I've given service to countless people, partly because they asked me to, partly because I felt like I was supposed to or had to, and partly because service sort of just became a part of me, or maybe I just realized that it was part of me all along.

Now, I don't mean to put myself on a pedestal here. I don't mean to say that I'm great at service or that I serve often and always enjoy it, because I'm not great and I don't always enjoy it. "Often" is relative, but I don't serve as often as I should. There are times when I choose not to serve my purpose.

I suppose I should work on that. Even though I don't always enjoy serving others, I should do it more often, not just because I'm supposed to, but also because I take some pride in serving others whether I want to or not. I find fulfillment in service, and I think I know why.

I know that there are probably many reasons why God created me, and helping others is only one of those reasons, but helping others is certainly one of the probably many reasons God created me. Helping others is at least part of the purpose of my existence. It is, at least partly, why I'm here.

I thank God that I know that. As far as purposes go, helping others isn't the worst. It's humble, but I kind of like that. It's simple and flexible. It's sometimes even fun! It is sometimes literally a chore, but it's not the worst chore either. I like helping people, even if I don't always like doing so in the moment. I'm glad that helping others is part of my purpose, and I'm especially glad that I know that it is. I thank God that I am blessed enough to know why I'm here.