By Sandy Quandt
What are you passionate about? What have you spent time studying, perfecting or enjoying?
My husband can tell from the sound of an engine what kind of plane is overhead. Once the plane is in view, he can tell you pretty much everything there is to know about it. Guess you could say he’s passionate about airplanes and flying. Me. . . I hear the same engine whine, look up and I ask myself two things. Does it have two wings? Is it larger than a bird?
I know what it is. . .it’s a plane. Now let an Apache helicopter fly over, a daily occurrence around here, and I can definitely identify that bad boy by its sound before I see it.
My husband can pick up an instrument and teach himself to play it quickly. No problem. Me, though. I took piano lessons in elementary and junior high school. The day my instructor handed me one of Mozart’s masterpieces – you know,the ones where the left hand and the right are playing two completely different songs, I begged my parents not to force me to go back. Much to my piano teacher’s great relief, they consented.
Both of my siblings played instruments in their school bands. My dad played a clarinet as the Navy Band marched across the Oakland Bay Bridge when it opened November 12, 1936. Musical talent abounds in my family. It just got used up before I was born.
I have a heart for missions, and I seriously contemplated becoming a foreign missionary. That is until I took two years of Spanish in high school, and two more semesters in college. That led me to realize I am not a linguist. Yo no hablo Espanol.
So what am I passionate about? I had to ponder what gets my heart engaged at the very thought. There are several things, but if I had to choose one, besides my passion for Jesus, I would have to say it is writing. Creating stories. Helping people come to life on the page in front of me. Writing stories that make history come alive. That’s what I enjoy, love, and get excited about. Writing is something I believe God has placed inside me. I believe I am a tool in his hand, a pencil if you will. A tool God intends to use for his purposes and glory.
Sometimes I think we humans falsely believe we are the ones who choose what we will be passionate about. We believe we are the ones who choose what we’ll be good at or enjoy doing. But to my way of thinking, we have it all backwards.
Since God is the one who knit us together in our mother’s womb. (Psalm 139) I believe he is the one who placed the passion, the desire, the ability inside us to accomplish what he wants to accomplish through us. We didn’t create the passion, but it is our choice to pursue it, or not.
I can’t identify planes like my husband, or play an instrument like my dad. I can’t converse in any language except English. There’s a bunch more things I can’t do. But God didn’t put those things in me. I’m not going to moan about what I cannot do. Instead,
I’m going to celebrate what I can and work at it with all my heart as a worker who needs not be ashamed.
So I ask you again. What’s your passion? What would you feel lost without pursuing? Figure that out, and go after it. That’s what God designed you to be passionate about. That’s what he created you to do.
For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. Ephesians 2:10 NIV
Photo courtesy www.freedigital.com & Simon Howden
Sandy Kirby Quandt is a follower of Jesus with a passion for history, travel, and photography. Sandy has written numerous articles and stories for adult and children publications. Looking for words of encouragement or gluten-free recipes? Then check out Woven and Spun. www.sandykirbyquandt.com. Sandy lives with her husband in Texas.
Good thought, Sandy. I tried the guitar once 🙂
Thanks, Jennifer. The guitar isn’t my instrument, either.