Week 11 2013 Passion

What is your passion?  Oh, I know that people often associate romance with this word, but I think it is so much more than a romantic interlude.  I have many passions, but only one is romantic, and I’ve joyfully shared that passion with my bride for more than thirty-seven years.  However, there are other people, places, activities, and things that I am passionate about.  For instance, my current hobby, turning wood, is something that I am passionate about.  I spend hours working on a pen, bottle stopper, stylus, eggoscope, or bowl.  It is enjoyable, creative, and it diverts my attention away from my chronic pain.  If you follow me on Facebook you have seen much of what has come from this passion.

Una and I are passionate about our travels.  We live in such a fascinating country!  As we make our way from one destination to another, we are reminded of how blessed we are to live in America.  God has truly blessed this great nation!  We are often asked where our favorite destination is.  And, our answer is always the same – we aren’t sure.  There is beauty everywhere we go, and the people we meet are just so special, they warm our hearts.  Of course, we try to follow the weather, avoiding extreme heat or cold.  But, we have still experienced snow in late May, and humid heat in January.  However, we take it as it comes as we continue to travel and enjoy.

Another of my passions is my family.  My children, grandchildren, and their families mean a great deal to me.  I am so passionate about my family that I would do anything to keep from hurting any of them, or preventing them from being hurt, if it is within my power to do so.  Yet, they are sometimes hurt.  Unfortunately, that pain can unwittingly come from me or others they love.  It seems that the nature of relationships is such that we sometimes hurt each other.  The really wonderful thing about familial relationships is that our shared love is generally strong enough to help us through the pain of a misunderstanding or unintentional hurt.  Primarily, because we share this passion for family.

Friendships are much like familial relationships, often being as strong or stronger.  I have friends with whom I have shared more years of my life than many of my family members.  Our joint memories offer a commonality that is difficult to duplicate.  Those that I have laughed and cried with, going through the valleys and peaks of life, are friends that I hold on to passionately.  These are ones that I would give my life for as quickly and easily as I would for my family.  Most of my deep friendships are those with whom I share a common faith in the Lord.  Yet, there are few who are outside God’s saving grace for whom I am in constant prayer.  Because, you see, those relationships with which I am passionate about are ones that I hope to carry on throughout eternity.  Which leads to that which is probably my greatest passion.

I came to the Lord about thirty-six years ago.  I know that many people remember the exact day they entered into a saving relationship with Christ.  I don’t.  I just remember being scared.  Oh, I had known that God existed and that the church was where believers gathered.  In fact, I had often gathered together with those believers.  However, I had never had a relationship with Jesus Christ.  The relationships I had had with churches were not pretty.  But, I recognized that there was a difference between that kind of relationship and a personal relationship with God.  I also knew that if I were to accept Jesus as my Lord and Savior that it would involve a lifetime commitment.  I knew that once that step was taken I could never turn back.  Not knowing what was on the other side of that step is what scared me.  Yet, as scared as I was, I had a suspicion that it was not only the right thing to do, but that it was essential.  So, with trepidation, I made the decision to follow Jesus, and I did so with great passion.  Had I known before I made that step how wonderful life in Christ would be, I would not have been afraid.  My view of the church has pretty much remained the same.  As an institution, the church is still just as ugly as it was before I was a Christian.  The divisions, hypocrisy, and hatred demonstrated by many who represent the church is just as unappealing as it was then.  However, because I have this passion for Christ, I now see the church as His bride.  He is clothing her in His righteousness, and she isn’t fully clothed yet.  In her earthly state she is clothed in rags.  But, some day He is going to return.  When He does, He will replace those rags with His righteousness, and she will be more beautiful than any of us can imagine!

So, yes, I am passionate about the Lord and His church.  With what life I have left I will seek to bring as many lost souls as I can to the Lord.  And, it is my prayer that the church will continue to move toward unity, demonstrating the love of Christ to each other and to the world.  It is my prayer that we will have a passion for those who are brokenhearted, downtrodden, and taken captive by sin.  Jesus felt that we were worth dying for, even though I often wonder why, so I hope to share in His passion.  Along with the promised eternal life, it has been my experience that life here on earth has just been that much sweeter having the freedom that can only be found in the Lord!  I have had people ask me how I would feel if when I die there is no God or heaven?  Well, first of all, if that happened I have to ask if I would know it?  Secondly, if that were the case, I would have no complaints, because my life as a Christian has been so much fuller than it was when I wasn’t a Christian.  Thus, my passionate life in the Lord is a win win proposition!