April 27, 2009

 

Just some early morning thoughts from me to you…

 

“And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, and knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ.”  

Colossians 3:23 (NKJV)

 

            Would you have done it?  Something a bit like Miss Susan Boyle did?

Would you have walked out of the wings on the sides of that stage, and stood where she stood, and do what she did?

Would you have followed the passion of your heart, as she apparently did, which ultimately led to that moment?

I suspect that the answer for most of us throughout our lives has too often been “no”.  We wouldn’t have done it.  We could have done it but didn’t, or worse—we wouldn’t try.

By now we have all either read about, heard of, or watched the actual performance of Miss Susan Boyle on Britain’s Got Talent as she sang “I Dreamed a Dream” from Les Miserables. 

She was a rather plain-spoken and plain-looking lady, and her manner and appearance set a tone of low expectation within the audience and judges.  As Miss Boyle moved from the introductions to her song, the show’s three judges, along with the theatre and television audiences were moved quickly from cynicism, snide glances and raised eyebrows to inspiration, warmed hearts and smiles of joy as the lyrics and music began to float from her angelic yet powerful voice.

When she had finished, one of the judges, Piers Morgan, offered that “without a doubt that is the biggest surprise I have had in three years on this show.  When you said you wanted to be like Elaine Paige (the First Lady of British Musical Theatre) everyone was laughing at you.  No one is laughing now.”

Another judge, Amanda Holden, introspectively and honestly offered “I am so thrilled because I know that everybody was against you [as you came out].  I honestly think that we were all being very cynical, and, I think that’s the biggest wake-up call ever.”

Would you have done what Miss Susan Boyle did?  I don’t mean would you have stood before thousands of people and sing knowing you had a good voice—or doing something else you were good at? 

No, what I mean is, would you have followed the passion God poured into your hearts to follow those “want to” feelings that He placed in your life?  Would you have pursued, time and time again, the passion within you like Miss Susan Boyle did, whether it led to an engagement on Britain’s Got Talent or some comparable platform…or to nothing at all except the satisfaction and fulfillment of knowing that you pursued what God laid on your heart? 

Would you have pursued that thing or things that you have so long wanted to do, but for whatever reason you have yet to pursue?  Would you have taken the risk, traveled the road which seemed closed, pulled yourself out of your comfort zone to pursue what had always burned in your heart?

As I sit here this morning I can reflect on so many moments in my life where I failed to follow that passion of my heart like she did.  Instead I let passion killers like—a fear of being laughed at, or failing, or believing the limits others or my parents imposed on me, uncertainty of the unknown, or forgetting that God was going with me—prevent me from following those passions. 

In some cases, I was given a second chance.  In others, time had moved past the moment.

But many years later and now many years ago, after accumulating an all-too-long list of regrets, I committed to follow those passions God has placed on my heart into all the foolishness and failures that may occur—or just perhaps—into all the moments of significance, life change and impact for Him, others, myself and His Kingdom that would occur.

What about you?  Maybe this is the moment to commit with and for Him to follow those passions that lay beneath the “almost actions” of our hearts.  Together with Him we can commit and recommit to follow the passions God has placed within us—those “want-to” feelings gnawing at our hearts—and follow them into all the foolishness or Godly impact for good that will follow.

Who knows—we may see each other on Britain’s (or America’s) Got Talent.  Better yet, the flames of passion God placed within you and me will begin to burn brightly—for not just each of us to see—but for all the world to see. 

And you will begin to live the life God intended for you to live—rather than to leave it standing quietly in the wings—wasted.

Just something to think about…for the rest of your life.

Just something to begin to do…today and every day…for the rest of your life!

 

                                                            In His Name—Scott

 

Copyright 2009.  Scott L. Whitaker.  All rights reserved.