This Five-Minute Conversation Reignited My Purpose

While I was out of work fighting cancer, I got a call — one of those completely out-of-the-blue moments that somehow change everything.

I was home recovering from surgery, waiting to hear what my treatment plan would look like, trying to stay grounded in faith and focus. The phone rang. It was someone I used to work with asking if I’d meet for lunch.

Without hesitation, I said yes. I always do. Partly because I’m curious — you never know what seeds you’ve planted that might be growing (or withering). And partly because it’s just nice to see people you once bled, laughed, and maybe quietly plotted to strangle (lovingly) after one more delay, one more change, one more “quick update.” The struggle is real.

But this lunch turned out different.

After catching up and sharing stories, I started to wonder if there was a reason behind it. As we stood to leave, he paused and said,
“I just wanted to thank you. You believed in me before I believed in myself. You really changed my life.”

We hugged. Said “let’s do this again.” And that was it.

Except it wasn’t.

I got home that day and wept. Because in the middle of my fight — a season when you question if you mattered, if your work meant anything, if anyone would remember you — God showed up. Not in a miracle. Not in a sermon. But in a simple, human “thank you.”

I wish I could say I was already planning my comeback — ready to chase purpose and meaningful work again. But the truth is, I wasn’t. I was tired. Uncertain. Unmotivated.

That five-minute moment changed all of that.

It filled my tank.
It reminded me of grace.
It reignited the fire to get ready for big things again — things that matter.

And with any luck, things that might lead to another moment, just like the end of that lunch.

⸻

By Andrew Bloo
Marketing Consultant | Former CMO | Helping brands and leaders rediscover purpose through authenticity, strategy, and storytelling.

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