Light was just beginning to creep up the ridge. The woods were not yet awake as we sank back into the brush-line along the edge of the field. We had good pictures from a nearby scouting camera which fueled our hope that we would see some turkeys soon. The warm sunshine from the day before had long faded and now the chilly pre-dawn air was taunting us. As the first colors began to show behind the distant trees we settled in. It was quiet. It was painfully quiet.
Then it happened. A sound blasted through the silence. My eyesight sharpened as I scanned the horizon for movement. My ears strained through the wind in search of the next sound. My heart rate increased and blood began pumping. The chill I felt in the dark morning air instantly disappeared. The first gobble of the morning tuned all my senses in to a singular focus. I was now ready for what’s next. I was ready for the pursuit.
There are very few sounds that create a rush of adrenaline through my veins more than the early morning gobble of a turkey in the Spring, but waiting for that moment is sometimes painful. No matter how frustrating the waiting is, however, everything changes when you hear the sound. Hearing the gobble of a turkey means that I’m close. It means that our planning and positioning has been worth the work. Hearing that sound means that I haven’t wasted my effort. It doesn’t always mean that we are going to be successful in harvesting a turkey, but it almost always means we will have a chance.
What is your sound? What is the thing that snaps your mind and senses into focus? Maybe it’s not the sound of a turkey as the sun comes up, but I know there’s something. We all have it. We all have that that thing that makes us come alive. It awakens our soul. It creates such emotion that it’s difficult to keep it within and we must act on it in some way. Maybe for you it’s when you get a taste of success after working so hard on a project or goal. Maybe its the moment when you finally see your financial sacrifice paying off as you get out of debt. Whatever your indicator is it means you’re on the right path. You’re heading in the right direction. You’re doing something right.
God wired you this way on purpose. When you were created He planted passion inside of you. He packaged it with talents and abilities so that you can cultivate this passion. God did that because He wants you to use these passions and abilities to live a life that matters. God is not wasteful. It’s not in His nature. He doesn’t give us these passions and not intend for us to leverage them. The twist is, once you’ve identified your passion, figuring out how to leverage it to make an impact in someone else life. This is where meaning in life is found. When we are able to use our skills and talents, and the things we love to make a difference for someone else, we experience the highest sense of satisfaction possible.
Tension occurs when we allow the pace of life and chaos of our circumstances to bury our passions. Some of you may say “I’ve lost my passion.” I would argue that you cannot lose what God put inside of you. You can, however, lose sight of your passion when you allow it become buried under the routine of everyday living. The fire that God put inside you hasn’t gone out, but it may be starving for oxygen. Keeping your passions buried will eventually lead to living a life without any satisfaction or joy.
Whatever your “sound” is, whatever makes you come alive, you’ve got to find ways to release it everyday. Study your passion. Talk about your passion. Read and write about your passion. Let the fire breathe so that it doesn’t become buried under the chaos of everyday life. Remember, you were made for significant impact and that’s going to mean leveraging the things you are wired for and the passions that are inside of you. A life lived with passion is sure to be a life that matters.
Comments