Purpose

“Meaninglessness does not come from being weary of pain. Meaninglessness comes from being weary of pleasure.”

“In some way, suffering ceases to be suffering at the moment it finds a meaning, such as the meaning of a sacrifice.”

In 2017, Jay Austin and Lauren Geoghegan were living in Washington, D.C. wondering if their lives were slipping away without fulfillment. So, the young and idealistic Americans decided to quit their jobs, jump on their bikes, and go see the world. 

But it can be tough out there.

Most people want to avoid as much pain in life as possible. Think about it; you don’t know anyone who likes getting stung by a bee, banging their knee on a piece of furniture, or breaking an arm. But the parents of Gabby Gingras want one thing for their daughter above all else: for her to feel pain.

“What man actually needs is not a tensionless state but rather the striving and struggling for a worthwhile goal, a freely chosen task.”

In the years following World War II, when Communism was in full swing in Eastern Europe, Corrie ten Boom traveled from country to country sharing the Gospel and encouraging believers who followed Jesus at the risk of their very lives.

When one writes a book, the publisher usually gives the author the opportunity to “dedicate” the book to someone of his or her choosing. But you’re always left wondering if you chose the right person and the right words.

Or, if you’re Tad Williams, whether or not the person will even notice.

Dachau Concentration Camp, 1945. A place of unrelenting suffering and death. More than 25,000 “enemies of the state” lost their lives in this hellish place during the Holocaust. Every prisoner trapped behind the wire jumped at the chance of escape.

Every prisoner except Viktor Frankl.

On February 1, 2015, quarterback Tom Brady led his New England Patriots to victory over the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl 49, making a strong case for him being named the greatest QB in the game.

But according to a decade-old interview, Brady wondered if that’s what life was all about.

Phil LaBoon, a native of Pittsburgh, wanted to get married so he reserved a reception hall, hired a caterer, and sent out invitations. The one thing the handsome young man didn’t secure was a stable fiancé; she backed out at the last moment.

But that didn’t stop LaBoon from having a life-changing celebration.