The story of Ruth is an incredible one. It’s a story I’ve always found really inspiring and beautiful because it’s so much more than a simple success story; it’s a story of heartbreak and sacrifice turned to a beautiful story of redemption and legacy.

The story of Ruth began with loss and a decision—a decision to leave the old behind in pursuit of the unknown. As she found herself in a new and uncomfortable place in life, her reaction was to seek to serve. She told her mother-in-law “Let me go to the fields.”

When she didn’t know what to do or where her promise would come from, she went to work. As a worship leader I’ve found that God seems to save His most abundant blessings for those who follow and serve Him willingly. There’s something about a willing spirit that seems to attract God’s anointing.

Willingness. This is something we need as a generation. We live focused and stubborn lives with plans, and plan Bs, if the previous were to fall through. But if we ever hope to grasp God’s attention in an undeniable way, something will have to give. In our generation, we need a holy willingness to sweep in and create an atmosphere where worship becomes like breathing.

I have set two central goals for my music department in this upcoming year. The first is unifying our team in our purpose for being there, which is to worship. If I as a worship leader somehow miss that mark or fail to pass on that purpose, I am missing the mark entirely.

In our story, Boaz created a safe place where Ruth learned she was welcome to come and serve. Like Boaz established a haven for Ruth, it is our job to create a safe place for people to worship God without fear or repression. I believe this applies to those holding a microphone and those with lifted hands in the audience.

You—wherever you are—have a purpose. It can become so easy to get caught up in the details of your big picture and forget that every day you are given purpose. But what do you do with that?

Do you hold onto it for later? Do you try to return it for something a little more appealing? Or do you create an environment in your life where you are willing to live out your purpose and pass it on to others who need some?

My second goal follows the mindset of the first. It is to create an environment of expectancy. It wasn’t until after Boaz created a safe place for Ruth to grow that she took on a certain boldness. She wasn’t content with just gleaning the fields any longer. The purpose and reasons she kept coming back gave her enough strength to ignite a desire to reach for more.

More than where she was; more than her past; more than a simple handful; she was reaching for more. As she did what she knew to do, she found her “handfuls of purpose.” Her story went from a story of loss to one of trust, then to service, then to boldness, then to blessing.

I believe God has blessing for this generation and this people, and I will fight with everything within me to lead on this journey to pass on a whole lot of purpose.

Olivia Dummer is a student in Blue Springs, Missouri where Jason Huckaby is her pastor. She writes and keeps an inspirational blog hoping to encourage others and share what she’s learned about God.