discovering passions

What are you passionate about? Hopefully, we are all on a journey of discovering outrageous passion for God and for people. In addition, we are hopefully discovering unique passions that God has placed within each of us that He will use to grow His Kingdom on earth.

Our group in Dallas was discussing how we might help people discover and name their passions. I know for me, it's been helpful to think about passions by considering all of the places and positions I've been in over the years of my life. What have I found myself pursuing no matter where I've lived or what job I've had? For me, the common threads have been 1. Engaging people in service in their communities and globally and 2. connecting to God's beauty in Creation.

In 1990, Mike and I lived in Guam for two years, and I taught fifth graders in the public school system there. Outside of my school days, Mike and I were having a blast exploring the island with friends...Guam is full of amazing hikes, waterfalls, caves, and vistas. What I soon began to discover is that a lot of my fifth graders had never been to many of these places on their island. Many had never traveled to the southern part of the island, and Guam is only 28 miles long! When I asked the kids what they spent their time doing, I learned that much of their time was in front of the tv, either watching cable or playing video games. So, I began to take 3-4 students with me on weekend hikes and field trips. This was so fun! We also entered an environmental contest (we cleaned up a really trashy area on Guam, and raised public awareness about the harm done by littering.) The contest award was a trip for our class on a submarine sightseeing tour off the coast of Guam, an amazing experience. Our school was in the north near the humane society of Guam, so I began to serve there once a week with one of my students, Rex, who was one of my challenging students in regards to behavior. I grew to love Rex as we served side by side washing out kennels and feeding dogs and cats.

When I think back on other seasons of my life, I find that no matter what it is, I find myself connecting people through service. At college in Ames, I invited my roommate to a nursing home each week where we'd visit Agnes and Genevieve, two elderly residents who didn't get visits from family. When I taught fifth grade at Hansen Elementary, our class helped raise money and wrote letters to friends in an orphanage on the island of St. Croix, where two good friends of mine were serving as missionaries there. I also helped create the partnership between
Hansen Elementary and Sartori Hospital that is still going strong almost 20 years later. Nature is also a passion for me. In college, I spent a summer on Texas ranch living outdoors with students and helping them connect with God in nature. I led a group of high schoolers through the mountains of Colorado backpacking for a week. I love to be on the nature trails by myself or with my family.

Whether it be in my youth ministry years or in my years of raising our own children, I find myself connecting people into service, and I enjoy connecting with the outdoors somehow. Both energize me tremendously and are pathways for me to draw near to God.

What about you? No matter where you've lived or what job you've had, what do you find yourself seeking out? What makes you come alive and energizes you?