the lesser passions
ah...here we go. after weeks of lurking and reading, reading and lurking, i finally take the plunge into a blog-a-licious world. i've been blogging for ages, but not here, so i'm new to you guys, anyway. i guess all that you really need to know about me is that i love to stir things up. in a good way. love to discuss things that i am passionate about, and i must say there are many subjects that fall under that category. hence, the title of this particular blog:)
some time ago, a friend of mine, knowing that i love max lucado's books and writings, gave me a card with a quote of his on the front. it's a quote that reminded her of me...and of the many conversations that we have had about seeking the deeper things of God...the passion that fuels the fire of our spirits and drives us absolutely mad, all at the same time. if you don't mind, i'm gonna share the quote with you.
"....God rewards those who seek Him. not those who seek doctrine or religion or systems or creeds. many settle for these lesser passions, but the reward goes to those who settle for nothing less than Jesus Himself. and what is the reward? what awaits those who seek Jesus? nothing shortof the heart of Jesus."
wow. well, for me, that's it. those words have been my challenge for many years before i ever read them...before mr. lucado ever penned them. i have found myself being so stirred, so unsettled, so completely and totally CRAZY with spiritual thirst, that i have been forced to settle for those lesser passions...the ones that are 'acceptable' to other churchgoers..the ones that don't get us in trouble when we talk about them..the ones that don't challenge those that you are with and bring with them an uncomfortable silence that eventually forces you to change the subject or walk away with the 'unsaid' hanging in the air, like a bad smell.
to put it plainly...i have settled for the lesser passions to SURVIVE.
but, as is always the case and the now-familiar pattern...the lesser passions do not satisfy the hunger or quench the thirst. and here i am again..in this place..this valley of indecision. do i want to survive? or do i want to allow this fire to take me into the depths of who Jesus really is...the HEART of Jesus?
in either case, i will burn.
posted by Rho at 3/26/2005 01:45:00 PM
5 Comments:
Just wanted to say "Welcome" Rhonda. :)
HeatherD
Saturday, March 26, 2005 9:35:00 PM
janett..i get it! just don't let anyone 'religion-ize' your passion...let it flow right through you and into everyone you come in contact with!
and heather - thanks for the warm welcome! it's good to be here..hope ya don't mind, but i think i might stay awhile:o)
Saturday, March 26, 2005 10:04:00 PM
burn, baby, burn!!
welcome rho! i'm so excited to hear from your heart as you step out into our community.
one thought that came to mind while reading your blog is why do we have to settle for the lesser passions to begin with?
why do we settle for lesser passions to appease other churchgoers who might be offended or insulted by the passion that the reality of who christ is as it floods our souls?
i've spent far too long in survival mode....i want to thrive...i want to seek daddy whole heartedly and not settle for anything less than the heart of my father and creator.
am i nuts for thinking this is possible? or acceptable? hmmm...
Monday, March 28, 2005 6:08:00 PM
yo Q-squared!
thanks for the postable:o) well, your comment about wondering why we have to settle for the lesser passions in the first place, is exactly the point i was trying to make. we don't HAVE to settle for them..but we do. i think that so much of why we do is because we get tired of feeling alone. not alone in the lonely sense, but alone in the sense that your average sunday-go-to-meetin' christian doesn't really share - or at least want to talk about - the passion of their hearts. and sometimes, when you look into their eyes, you know they don't think about it...they're afraid..they want to be 'safe'. so..that's one reason we settle..another is due to time constraints and outside obligations..by the time i'm done doing what i HAVE to do..i'm too tired to think about what i WANT to do. ya know what i mean vern? anyway, the bottom line is that it's nice to have a little place to come and let my heart out to play:o)
Tuesday, March 29, 2005 8:33:00 AM
absolutely rho! my questions was more a slap in my own face when i realize how much energy and time i've wasted settling. bah.
is it possible to find a balance between the *have* to's and *want* to's?
is it possible for our passions, the cry of our hearts to seep out a lil bit in the midst of all the *have* to's of the daily grind?
it's almost as if i feel i have to split myself in two at times....the "normal" princess vs. the "quirky" princess.
can we live in freedom without the dual roles? or is life supposed to be a juggling act between the roles?
Wednesday, March 30, 2005 6:46:00 PM
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