What is Your Passion?

Kidblast was.....well....A BLAST! 100+ adorable kids....acting, singing, moving collectively...having fun and worshipping at the same time! And while I must admit....the camp week was physically and emotionally draining.....it was well worth it! I am so thankful to be part of a church body that has a passion for kingdom growth and is not afraid of being innovative with ministry.....and whose leadership is not only full of faith but is also brave...(brave enough to let the likes of me write the script and direct the show!!! )

Last night after the performance, my family treated me to a celebratory dinner......I was on the edge of my seat as I listened to their feedback about the show...and so glad that they enjoyed it and understood it's value and marveled in it's unusual way of reaching our ministry goal.....

Shortly after the appetizer, our conversation drifted toward career choices. Having a table full of college aged kids...the topic quickly went to what their "major" was or would be. My son's beautiful, smart girlfriend, is at the point in her schooling where she is trying to decide what to declare as her major....... I remember the anguish I felt as a college freshman....thinking that I needed to know immediately....such pressure! What if I made the wrong choice?! Being a child of a one parent household, I felt strongly (my mother felt VERY strongly) that I choose a field that I could support myself should I wind up in a unfortunate situation that required that I be the sole breadwinner......it happened to her....she was widowed at 28 with 2 small kids....she, luckily was a RN, and thus was able provide comfortably for the three of us.

Although I was unsure of what to declare as my major, there was one thing that I knew for certain......I DID NOT, under any circumstance, want to be a nurse.....My Mom worked long hours and shift work, so she was not at home as much as I would have liked....plus I hated the idea of shots, wounds, and any bodily fluid....especially emesis...( AKA Vomit). But I did excel in the sciences....so I chose Biology as my major. And through the urging of an arts loving guidance counselor who recognized a natural affinity in me for drama (take that anyway you like :) ).....I declared Theatre as my minor.

Long story short....I attended college, studied Biology and Theatre....fell in love with a wonderful man...realized that Broadway was a long way from Cashua Drive......and wanted to get married and would have bills to pay. So, what did I do? I enrolled in nursing school and became a RN. God, having the sense of humor He has, allowed my first patient to be a head injury patient with Increased Inner Cranial Pressure....and yep, she vomited....all day...non stop....I quickly got over the whole emesis thing.

So as we sat in Outback last night, talking about career paths, I felt very unworthy of offering any advise....after all, my educational journey was a haphazard one! But what I could add and attest to, was that whatever you do, you need to have a passion for....a love for.....let it be something, if possible, that you would do, even if you did not get paid! (A 360 degree turn from my freshman philosophy)!

And while I do not regret one year, one day, or one minute of my 7 years of education,....as a matter of fact, I thank God for it!!..... I do regret not really praying about my career path decisions......I thought I was praying about it...., but I did not truly seek God's leadership in it, and was too young, impatient, and hard headed to wait on His answer!

But God being the Master Cleaner-Upper of our poor decisions, took every step of every path with me and then.....in a way only He can manipulate....used it all for His purpose and His Glory, and to enrich my ability to minister to those in need. You see, I am a good nurse, I like being a nurse, but it is not my passion.....However, God knew I would need those nursing skills to take care of my Mother when she was ill for many years, he also knew that I could use them to help Mark when his software package needed a Clinical Records Add on....who better than me to go into the Mental Health Hospitals and Facilities and act as a liaison between the Clinicians and our Programming staff? I fit right in.....with the counselors.....OK....and sometimes with the inpatients :)

On the other hand, my theatre education has played an enormous part of my ministry life. Having signed with a Christian record label and touring on and off for several years.....I have run the whole creative spectrum....performance, song writing, skit writing, directing, musical theatre, etc....all things I learned about on my theatrical educational path.....

Which brings us full circle to Kidzblast....to my position as Creative Ministries Director at CBC....using my "unordinary" spiritual gifts for the glory and edification of our "extraordinary" Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. That is MY PASSION....it is what I like to do, what I want to do, and what I plan to do.....regardless of any amount of monetary exchange, or the absence there of....I cannot imagine NOT doing it.

I thank God that He knew exactly what I would need in life to honor and serve Him. He knows that about you too.....so never discount those "mistakes" you think you might have made.....He knew you were gonna make them....He allowed you to make them because He knew what you needed to find and fulfill your passion.

You, my friend, are God's Passion...He loves you so much....He is ALL about you, no matter what you do or do not do.....He Died for you years ago on a rugged cross....and He Lives for you today!

What is YOUR passion?

Blessings Ya'll!
~Scarlett