Dear Father, I think the most limiting factor in a man's quest to fulfil his purpose lies in his experience of disapproval from those around him. I read the Scripture where Elizabeth had just delivered her baby: “And her neighbours and cousins rejoiced with her and came to circumcise the child; and they called him Zacharias, after the name of his father. And his mother said, Not so; but he shall be called John. And they responded, saying, There is none of thy kindred that is called by this name...” To name the child “John” was a divine instruction, yet it was met with humanity’s disapproval, and understandably so, because it was new. I think of how often we are made to respond to questions we ourselves lack answers to when we answer destiny’s call. What is different is often misunderstood, questioned or even rejected. How do we explain what we are still figuring out? How do I explain why I study philosophy, or why I write You letters daily? How do we make sense of purpose to someone burdened by survival? How do we justify unfamiliar paths to a society devoted to tradition, or divine instruction to those who dismiss it? It seems to me, Father, that purpose may require more than intuition and obedience: it demands a quiet persistence even when I am not understood. It is tempting to become who people can easily understand, but I fear what I might lose of myself in the process. Help me not to trade what You have said for what is accepted. Translations; Slide 1: English Slide 2: French Slide 3: Bengali Slide 4: Hindu Slide 5: Urdu #LettertoGod #purpose #persistence #process