Your passion brings you joy... you are lost when you are doing what you love the most... time is not a factor because you just keep on going. Granted, you need to be mindful of life :) My point is, when you have a passion, and there are no limitations that prevent you from pursing your passion, life has meaning that is beyond comprehension. In "What If Money Was No Object," Alan Watts said, "So I always ask the question, "what would you like to do if money were no object? How would you really enjoy spending your life?" How would you answer those two questions for yourself?
I woke up this morning... very early, awakened from a dream about a young man who was pursing his passion of being a musician and restoring cars--he played the piano. (Random I know:) ) The music was so ingrained in him, it flowed through his body that even when he was just standing, looking outside in a gaze or staring at a car that was old and battered, his feet started to tap some music. What a beauty I thought. I knew this morning that it's time to remind you to stir up your passion and don't look back. Don't be afraid... go for it!!! You know what "go for it" means for you so I am not going to provide a specific anecdote because going after your passion and stirring up the gift is very different for each and every person.
For me, frustration with life inspired this blog... I was boiling inside (feeling lost, stuck, underutilized, etc.) yet I knew I woke up at 5am on a Saturday... December 3, 2016 and that's when I started writing this blog. If money was no object, I would chill-out and write... all the time... because... there's so much bubbling inside of me... I want to be a writer, an author... my gift of encouragement through writing... was one of the things I had to share with the world. And that's just one of my passions. To be honest, I have been writing journals for over 2 decades (gees that's a long time!). Imagine if I had just stirred up my gift way back then... where would I be today and how many books would I have written? Honestly, only God knows... Life happens... but when you find your place... your passion... stir it up! You may have just one passion or several... whatever the case, stir up your gift(s) because you have a voice and something to contribute to society that you were placed here on earth to do. Don't let frustration overcome or overwhelm you... let it fuel you to stir up the gift within you. Life is not just about your day job or what you do to make a living... life is meant to be lived in abundance as the Word of God says.
A few weeks ago I had the privilege of chatting with Carla Price at my church and she reminded me of 2 Timothy 1:6 which I hope will encourage you in your quest to stir up the gift. I have a few versions of the same verse just for emphasis so enjoy:
"Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands." - King James Version
"Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands." - New King James Version
"That is why I would remind you to stir up (rekindle the embers of, fan the flame of, and keep burning) the [gracious] gift of God, [the inner fire] that is in you by means of the laying on of my hands [with those of the elders at your ordination]." - Amplified Bible, Classic Edition
You may have heard the saying: "Repetition is the mother of learning, the father of action, which makes it the architect of accomplishment." - Zig Ziglar. Therefore, I just repeated 2 Timothy 1:6 in the hope that it will stick in your mind and remind you of your passion, to stir it up!
It seems that it's much easier for you to have faith as small as a mustard seed to move mountains for other things in your life and the lives of others... why can't you have the same faith for the gift that is within you? Think about that for a minute... The Word of God says: "He (Jesus) replied, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” (Matthew 17:20) Another verse reminds us: "And the Lord said, If ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye might say unto this sycamine tree, Be thou plucked up by the root, and be thou planted in the sea; and it should obey you." (Luke 17:6) Again.. repetition... this is in the hope that you will be encouraged to have faith and go for it!
Is money the (or a) limiting factor? If you can do at least one thing to get started along the way... like I did with FINALLY writing this blog... you can get ahead of the game and be closer to living out your passion if you are not yet doing that. Don't wait (or be imprisoned) until you have enough money... let God work things out for you as you put your first foot forward! After all, it's your passion... so stir it up!
