“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” — Jeremiah 29:11.
This verse of scripture was on my mind as I walked the streets of Lossiemouth, Scotland. Scripture which has carried me through some of the more uncertain times in my life.
Interesting these words were a message given at a time of deep uncertainty and despair. They were God’s promise of hope and a future, given to a people at the time , who were far from their homeland, struggling with confusion about their purpose and place in the world.
There have been moments in life where I’ve struggled to see the path ahead clearly, to understand what my purpose was, but personally I’ve learned to trust in God’s direction. His plans have always been greater than I could have imagined, even when I couldn’t see it in the moment. I’ve experienced firsthand how God’s promises of hope and a future are real, even when life feels tough.
Lossiemouth, Scotland 🏴
Lossiemouth, a rugged and beautiful town in Scotland, nestled by the mighty North Sea. This is where my grandfather was born and raised before migrating to Australia in the mid-1920s. Standing outside the house where he grew up, just a stone’s throw from the sea, it was hard not to feel the weight of history. His family fished these wild waters for their livelihood, and now, nearly a century later, I found myself reflecting on the significance of this place.
There’s something profound about visiting the land of your ancestors. It stirs emotions you might not even realise are there, pulling at connections that reach beyond your current life. Yet, as I stood there, I couldn’t help but acknowledge that Lossiemouth, as beautiful and wild as it is, holds little tangible relevance to my life today. The culture and life are vastly different and far from what I know and live, although there are some similarities in the landscape and ruggedness of my home in Tasmania. But without this place, without my grandfather and the choices he made, I wouldn’t be the person I am, living the life I have.
Even though I don’t know all the details of my family’s history, with some bits unclear, my reflections were steeped in appreciation for my forefathers and the profound impact their decisions had on my existence. It reinforced again to me how essential purpose and direction are for shaping a meaningful life. The town of Lossiemouth is worth visiting in its own right, but for me, the significance was deeply personal—less about the physical place and more about the threads of connection, family, and purpose that weave through generations. Legacy is what must guide and ground us, reminding us that even in the unknown, we carry forward the values and direction set before us—if we choose to embrace opportunity and live with purpose, recognising that opportunity, whether small or large, is not about its scale but the significance we give it in our lives.
It can be hard to feel a sense of purpose at times, especially when life feels tough or uncertain. As I stood there, I reflected on how different my life is from my grandfather’s—how disconnected I am from the reality he knew and experienced. Yet, those threads of connection, the legacy of those who came before us, remind me that purpose can still be found and established, even in difficult times.
What truly matters, wherever we find ourselves in life, is maintaining those threads. The connection to family, to place, and to history is essential, even if those connections look different for each of us. They shape us, ground us, and remind us that we are part of something larger than ourselves. Whether our experience of family is one of strength or challenge, these threads still carry significance. In those moments of reflection, I was reminded that purpose and direction don’t end with us—they extend into the future, influencing what’s to come. And even when we can’t always see it, hope is another thread, quietly guiding us forward.
The choices we make today, influenced by where we’ve come from, are what bring hope. Whether our past has been one of strength or challenge, we can create hope for our families, for the communities we serve, and for a future that builds on the positive foundations we choose to lay. It’s not always easy, and it’s not always clear, but hope can find us in the most unexpected places if we allow it.
No matter how distant or unfamiliar a place may seem, these connections remain vital, helping to guide us forward in whatever life we build. They root us in purpose, point us towards the future, and remind us that hope is the thread that binds the past, present, and what’s yet to be—especially in the moments when it feels hardest to find.
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