How to Find Purpose in Your Life After Loss, Grief, or Uncertainty

How do you find purpose in your life when everything feels uncertain?

It’s a question many people ask after loss.

After a failure.

Or after plans fall apart.

And often after realizing the future you imagined may not happen the way you expected.

The answer is rarely obvious.

And according to hospital chaplain Jenny Richards, purpose may not be found where we think it is.

Purpose Often Begins With Interruption

Many of us imagine purpose as a destination.

Something we discover once and then pursue forever.

But life rarely works that way.

Jenny never expected to become a chaplain.

Her background was music.

She studied at Juilliard.

Built a life around performance and teaching.

Then life interrupted her plans.

A new calling emerged.

And she followed it.

Purpose didn’t arrive as a master plan.

It arrived as an invitation.

Pain Can Change What Matters

After losing her sister to suicide, Jenny found herself asking different questions.

Not simply:

Why did this happen?

But:

How will this change me?

That distinction matters.

Some questions keep us trapped.

Others move us forward.

While she may never fully understand her loss, she has found purpose in seeking greater compassion, understanding, and connection with others who suffer.

Purpose Is Often Smaller Than We Think

When people search for purpose, they often imagine a grand mission.

A dramatic calling.

A world-changing achievement.

But purpose frequently appears in ordinary places.

Listening to someone.

Showing up for family.

Offering comfort.

Remaining present.

Helping another person feel less alone.

The people Jenny serves every day have reinforced this lesson.

Life’s greatest meaning often emerges through relationships rather than accomplishments.

Finding Purpose in Uncertain Seasons

If you’re in a season where you feel lost, stuck, or uncertain, purpose may not require a complete roadmap.

It may simply require paying attention to what is being asked of you today.

The next conversation.

Or perhaps the next act of kindness.

Or even the next step forward.

Purpose is often revealed while walking, not while waiting.

Reflection Questions

• Have you ever discovered purpose through something you didn’t choose?
• What experiences have most shaped the person you’re becoming?
• Where might meaning already be present in your life today?

Listen to the full episode with Jenny Richards on The Grandpa Channel to hear more about purpose, suffering, faith, and what life teaches us the hard way.