Opportunities come in unique packages. Sometimes it’s evident and exciting. Other times, they are disguised as problems. It shows that we should always be on the lookout for unique journeys.
I had the chance to interview a pastor with a unique road to becoming a church leader. Here is a link to the article:
Last month, I had the pleasure of interviewing Todd Braschler for CHOGNews. He is a talented guy with a heart for worship as well as for those seeking to find their calling.
Todd grew up in a talented family and he believed his career would be in music. However, he learned along the way he also had a passion for helping others “excavate” their God-given calling and gifts.
He reminded me that talent and passion are different. If you dig deeper into my site, you will see I have loved writing and drawing cartoons over the years. But my passion has changed. While I still love to draw, I love writing even more. I began seeing the written captions as more important than my drawings.
Talent is good. Finding your passion is even better. It is possible for someone to be talented at something they have no passion for. It can aggravate others who wished they had that talent. Yet, we are all different. We can’t all make our living at a talent, especially when we would rather be doing something else!
Sometimes, being a good steward of talent means finding the sweet spot between it and the passion. May you find that right balance!
ONE MORE DAY!!!! pic.twitter.com/qiPezACpUc
— Air Force Marathon (@AFMarathon) September 15, 2017
The months of preparation are behind me. I’ve tapered off my practice so my body is ready (hopefully) for tomorrow. There is nothing left to do now but judiciously load up on carbs tonight and arrive at the race, on time, tomorrow. Then the real fun begins!
Here are some thoughts as I look forward to my first marathon.
In July of 2015, my wife, son and I tearfully said goodbye to friends, family, and most of all, my daughter. My wife, son and I made a trek from the Hoosier Heartland of Pendleton, Indiana to the Sonoran Desert and Scottsdale, Arizona. It was our first big move for my family. Neither my wife nor I lived more than one hundred miles from our birthplaces. Why on earth would we do such a thing? There was one big reason why we did this.
I came across this blog post about creativity and aging.
Mary Sayler: In A Writer’s Life: Artistic, creative people get creative at any age
I agree with her assertion that at any age people can find creative outlets.
It reminded me of my grandfather. He was a minister for over fifty years at the same church. He was sharp as a tack until he retired from the ministry and had no plan for what retirement would look like. He slowly lost his mental acuity and his passion for life.
We all have a calling. Age or retirement is not a reason to abandon your calling. Keep doing what you were born to do.
I’ve seen children’s ministry volunteers who lose their passion once their kids leave the ministry. But some of the greatest volunteers I’ve seen have volunteered way past retirement age. If you have a passion for teaching kids, don’t give up because your child has grown up.
I have a passion for writing and drawing for children. I also have a passion for children’s ministry. I’ve been so glad to have the last week to be able to focus on my calling and realize what a need there is for people with a passion.
What’s your calling? No matter what your age is, make a commitment to do what you were born to do!