Raising Giant Killers Part 1

 Isaiah 6:8 (NLT) says, "Then I heard the Lord asking, 'Whom should I send as a messenger to this people? Who will go for us?' I said, “Here I am. Send me.”

I would like for everyone to meet Sport, the very hungry chipmunk. He plays an important role in our story later on. But first, let’s go on a rabbit trail.

Passion - one of my favorite things to talk about. It is described as any powerful or compelling emotion or feeling, like love. In the New Testament, we read a lot about the passion of Jesus and how His love was displayed for us on a cross. With a new found grace, God’s people can have a new desire to commune with God like never before (Isaiah 26:9). This new love for God is seen more in our desires and passions than any act a Christian can display. This is why our passions are so important to God. Passion can be a lot of things, but there are some things passion cannot be and this is what I love most about this topic.

1.    Passion cannot be forced or faked- Barbara Corcoran.

There is a sparkle that shines in the eyes of people when asked about a particular topic because passion is always so raw and real and evident in others. Have you ever taken a moment out of your day to ask someone what their passion is? I certainly have. Seeing their face light up is one of God’s greatest blessings. The same sparkle He put in the sun, He also put in the eyes of man. You just have to see what makes them light up, what makes them rise and it becomes so present and breath-taking to behold.

2.    Passion cannot be found- Mark Manson.

Because it is right in front of you. I have read blog after blog about finding your passion in Christ but if you have to search for what you’re passion about, that’s a pretty good indicator that you’re not very passionate about it. Manson states in one of his blogs that:

“As a child, if you loved looking for bugs, you just did that. There was no second-level analysis of, “Well, is looking for bugs really what I should be doing with my time as a child? Nobody else wants to look for bugs, does that mean there’s something wrong with me? How will looking for bugs affect my future prospects? Nobody told you to do it, you just did it.”

 It sounds so silly, but this is what we do as adults. We complicate our passions. We ignore our passions. We bury our passions under the passion of others, but I can assure you, there is something that you desire. Even as you sit reading my article, there is something that dominates your time because it draws you. It’s in your conversation. It’s in the pictures you take. It’s in your web history. It’s in your spare time. It’s all over your social media. It was that thing that you loved as child. It’s that part of your life that other’s told you to quit because it’s not normal. What is it? What is that thing that is sitting right in front you? Whatever it is, that is your passion! Just like Mark says, the problem is not the lack of passion. The problem is your perception, acceptance and productivity of the passion.

3.    Passion cannot be copied –Felicia Reed….

Remember Sport? I told he would be important. I have a little girl named Scarlet. One day, she asked me to go to the store and buy a drawing notebook, pencils and some colored pencils. She wanted me to draw with her. Scarlet has a unique gift. Not only is she very artistic, but she has an imagination that is wild and selfless.

“Mommy isn’t very good at drawing, Scarlet! Perhaps we can find something else for you and me to do together,” I said.

With disappointment in her eyes, she said okay and never mentioned it again. Her disappointment haunted me for days until finally, I caved.

“Let’s go get art supplies Scarlet”! In my 15 years of being a mother, I have never seen a child put shoes on that quickly. Off to the store we went and we filled the cart with as many crafts as we could possibly fit. While I wasn’t looking forward to the reminder that I draw like a four year old, her smile that reached ear to ear was enough to brighten the occasion.

Later that night, we piled in my bed and started drawing, coloring, and creating. It wasn’t long before that reminder was staring me right in the face. Scarlet drew and I erased. After a while, Scarlet came to me with a picture. It was a chipmunk, holding a nut, with very fat stuffed cheeks. I encouraged her and told her how awesome her drawing was. She smiled, the night ended, and she was happy.

The very next day, she came to me for some help. She wanted to come up with a name and a character for her chipmunk. We threw around a lot of ideas until, finally, we named him Sport and he was the very hungry chipmunk; a very fitting character for a Reed.

I proceeded to ask Scarlet why she was so into this chipmunk. What was so special about it? I thought maybe she was just really into her drawing and her imagination was going wild with it like she usually does.

But that wasn’t why she wanted to draw at all….

She told me that Sport was the first of many characters she wanted to create. Once she created a few, she wanted to turn her drawings into stuffed animals with special material designed to help kids with autism and sensory disorders; kids like her sister Torie.

My heart sunk! Had I never said yes to that day and had I never taken her shopping, I would have missed this moment. All because I didn’t think it was important. All because I assumed she was just doing her “own” thing. All because her passion wasn’t my passion. God was sending her, as a messenger to be a light to those she was called to; to help end suffering in whatever way she could. She just needed me to add a little fuel to her fire. Instead, I almost put it out.

More than anything, I want to raise giant killers. If I’m being honest with you and myself, I don’t have the slightest idea how to do that. I want them to know God, to serve Him, and to understand how great He is. What I don’t’ want is for my children to pursue God and His will the way I think they should pursue Him. You see, I have passions. Just ask me about my DD community, taking care of senior citizens, ending stigmas surrounding mental illness, being a good wife and mother, opening my home to children, running, writing, etc. With any of these topics, you’ll see the sun sparkle in my eyes.

However, if I have learned anything as a parent, it’s that my children are allowed to have dreams, purpose, and passions that do not align with mine. In fact, I strongly encourage you to step out of their way and allow their godly passion to overtake them because passion was never meant to be copied and we were not created to just fall in line with man. We were meant to blaze the trails. I cannot expect them to walk in my footsteps. They have different giants to slay and a different group of people who need their fire. I can’t ask God to send them and then stand in the way as they try to move. We cannot claim we are passionate about God’s people and then get upset when others, especially our children, move differently than us to reach those people. Because of this, I will not be the one to put out their fire. Instead, I will stand behind them, fanning the flame, reminding them of who God says THEY are. Because their purpose will unlock, with or without my permission.

So my prayer is this. “Here are my kids, God! Please send them out as giant killer. And please do not allow me to be a giant that stands in their way. If I should ever become that, then thank you for giving me giant slayers!” Tell them to aim for the head.

And just so you know, Sport will be on the market soon. Along with Marley, the beach bum turtle and butterfly angels. Scarlet has been sent as giant killer. And she’s coming…