Passion Over Paycheck

       This morning, the sky is clouded with fog. Sitting here up north, my eyes scan the surroundings across the lake. It's quiet, and I am reminded of how much I enjoy spending time  admiring the beauty of it all. Although the fog blurs the picture in the distance, it is the stillness of the lake and the chill from the wind that makes getting up so early worthwhile.

       Secluded from the rest of the world, it’s easy to forget the flurry of activity and questions that are surfacing in the minds of those back home. As deadlines approach and life continues to fly by, worry begins to take root in the minds of teens. I am no exception. It would be a lie to say that I have not been concerned with my future lately. As we are handed pamphlets and information packages for countless post-secondary schools, our brains begin to kick into overdrive, trying to answer a thousand questions at once.

Which school do I choose?

How will I pay for this?

What if I choose the wrong program?

What if I can’t get a job?

       Unlike many, I seem to have been able to suppress the stress with a mantra of sorts. "Passion over Paycheck" are the words that echo in my head. "Calling over Cash", "Blessing before Benefit", whichever cliché you prefer, that is my focus.

       As a generation of young people, ready to jump towards the future, we need to think before we fall. We need to take a step back, do a little soul searching, and discover our passion, without thinking for a second salaries, benefits, locations or social status. Programmed into our very beings, our hearts have been pre-destined for a future long before we took our first breath.

       So why do we worry? Why do we lose sleep over finances when we serve a God who provides? Everyone has the ability to impact those around them. You don’t have to be a missionary overseas, or a motivational speaker to make a difference. All you need is passion.

       Take a moment, and envision your biggest dream. The one that keeps you up at night, excited and anxious. Someone once told me that if you can see an end to your dream, then you're not dreaming big enough. If you can see your goal being accomplished, than that means you've done it all on your own. Our visions for the future should cause us to rely completely on God. Our goals and dreams should be so "out-there", that when spoken aloud, it causes people`s jaw`s to drop and their eyes to widen. To others it may seem impossible, but to you, it`s the simple reassuring fact that if God has called you to it, He will bring you through it. Why do we rush when we serve the Author of Time?

Your vision is what guides you, but your passion is what drives you.

       The future is like a foggy morning up north. Clouded by uncertainty, we grow increasingly impatient. We are restricted to seeing only what is directly in front of us, so we rush ahead in hopes of discovering clarity, only to realize that the fog has covered our tracks and we end up where we first started.

       There is one thing that is often forgotten, so before you try and take matters into your own hands, remember this: fog is temporary. As the day continues on, the fog disappears to reveal a clear, beautiful masterpiece –hand crafted and especially designed– all we have to do is wait.

　

"We plan our lives in long, unbroken stretches that intersect our dreams the way highways connect the city dots on a road map. But in the end we learn that life is lived in the side roads, alleys, and detours."

-Richard Paul Evans