Why do we walk the roads we walk? The painful ones, the bumpy ones, the ones that lead us down paths we wish we could avoid.

I have often said I would steer clear of certain paths if I had known they would lead me to a particular painful experience. If I knew I would have to live a certain part of my past I didn’t want to re-live in the recesses of my mind. But I wonder, if given the chance, would I really choose to go a different way? If the fork in the road were put before me, a second chance given to me to make the decision again, would I take it? Or if I could walk down another road to avoid making certain life mistakes, would I choose that road again to avoid making them? Would you?

Each one of the historical pieces of my past have created the person who stands before you today. There are scars on my heart most of you never even know exists and I have scars on the outside of me some do see. The moments of trials and error developed an inner strength within me I will never lose. I have faced things in my 51 years of life most can’t imagine facing, but I have come out on top.

Sometimes when I look back on my life, I think about the different avenues I have taken, and I wonder why I went down a particular way. Then I meet someone, who is walking the same journey I walked. It is in that moment I realize; I am here not by chance. It is not by coincidence, but on purpose. I am meant to meet them to help them on their journey, perhaps to share a few bits of my past experiences and what I learned.

Empathy is an important emotion not shared enough. People need to know others who have shared their pain. They need to know it’s going to be okay, and someone has been down the road before and made it out alive without too many bruises. Sympathy is a great emotion too, but it doesn’t do as much for a person as empathy does. Empathy says I have felt what you felt. I know exactly what you are going through, I survived the very same thing and I understand your feelings.

I think everyone on earth has a purpose. The thing they were created to do, the very thing which makes them come alive when they do it. My “thing” is helping other people. I love to see people discover their worth and value. It makes me happy when they realize how valuable they are and before they were thinking other thoughts because someone else had broken them down. For instance, helping those with broken hearts realize they are loved. I thrive when I am able to assist other people in finding their gifts. Some people think they do not have anything to offer the world. I, on the other hand, know everyone has a purpose and a gift to offer to the world.

I know the people put across my path now have something to do with the journey I once walked. I often have to re-live my painful past to help them, but it’s worth it when I see them come to the realization, healing is possible. No one should have to face a journey alone; we should be helping each other get to the other side of life’s walk together.

I just finished the book “Hind’s Feet on High Places” for the second time. It is an allegory and a really wonderful story about life and the journey we take to get to high places. Once the girl in the story made it to the high places, she couldn’t wait to get back to valley to help those she left behind because she saw how much they were hurting. I missed this lesson the first time I read it. I think this is why I was supposed to read it a second time.

Live life with purpose, following your purpose and helping someone on purpose is really everyone’s mission. Don’t leave someone hurting when you have the power to help them.