A few years ago my resolution was to blog more... clearly I dropped the blog ball on that goal! Honestly though, 9 times out of 10 I have a "great idea" of what to write about but then by the time I get near a computer I think well no one would really want to hear or take the time to read what I have to say!
But the other day I listened to a message from Joyce Meyer and it talked about the lies of the devil and how he wants to use my insecurities to shut me up. Stop me from talking or stop me from writing. Well sure enough that message had come right on time because a friend of mine had said something to be right after that message that really made me think. We were on the phone chatting and he said to me "I can tell that photography and farming are your passion." After our conversation was over I continued to go about my morning chores in the barn. Chores are a lot of work but a time for me to clear my head and get my best thinking done and for some reason after my phone call that statement stuck with me. Seriously for the entire morning my thoughts just kept coming back to it. Is photography really my passion? Would I really say that i'm passionate about farming?
The more I processed the statement the more I realized it's just not true. To most of you that may seem crazy to read but believe it or not photography and farming are NOT my passion. My passion is helping/serving people. Don't get me wrong I love, love LOVE both of these things. Whenever I am doing them they both just seem to make sense. Especially farming. When i'm there I cant imagine being anywhere else and I truly feel like by doing both I've learned an incredible amount about myself that I may or may not have learned otherwise.
But as much as I enjoy both activities I enjoy helping my family on the farm and helping capture memories with my camera way more than the actual activity. I'm not sure if these activities didn't go hand and hand with helping people then I may not love them as much as I do... which is why I wouldn't necessarily call them a passion.
Some days I feel like a drifter. You know, the 31 year old with lots of odd jobs on the resume and no real career to show. If I add fuel to that fire i'd be going down a dark road... you see the devil wants me to feel lost and he wants me to compare my journey to others. Those people we know that "have it all figured out". The devil wants me to look at my life and say what do I have to show for it? Lots of odd jobs, and unfinished college degree and i've moved what seems like a million times. When I type those words it's hard not to feel sad i'm not anywhere near where my friends are on their journey. The devil wants me to focus on all the negative in my life to tear me down and feel like i'm lost without a purpose.
Sweet friends that's just not true. We each have this super awesome purpose that once we figure out it's the most amazing thing.
During each season of my life God gives me different tools to fulfill my passion and purpose of helping people. Right now in the season i'm in i'm able to help my family on the farm and help people by taking photos and capturing memories and moments for them to cherish, hopefully for a very long time! I don't know how long these seasons will last nor do I know what my next season will be. To some of you that may seem crazy but to me it's crazy to hold onto something too long when we know it's time to move on but we keep doing something just because we have always done it. I'm perfectly fine with my random journey until I start comparing it to others. You know what they say? Comparison is the thief of joy and it's so, so, soooo true! We live in this society where we need to know in high school what we want to be when we are adults. Then we are supposed to go to school for what we want to be, graduate and get a career and spend the rest of our life doing what we wanted to do in high school. For some people that works. But for others it doesn't.
Take a deep breath and read these words slowly. Read them two, three or four times. Read them until they really sink in.
If you can't figure out your purpose find out your passion. Your passion will lead you to your purpose.
So for you out there that feels lost because you're comparing your journey to your friends who "have it all figured out" stop comparing yourself and grow your own grass! Maybe you weren't chosen for a life of consistent jobs and a house with a white picket fence. Maybe, just maybe you were chosen to spend your life serving people in ways you didn't even think possible for your life. What if your only purpose in life is to be polite to the person making your coffee, or saying hello to the toll booth person. I know it seems far fetched but haven't you ever seen those movies where they go back in time and change one single event and it shows the chain reaction of everything to follow ?
Friends trust me on this. Once you figure out your purpose? Give it away. You will be amazed at what happens in your life when you're passionate about your purpose and start to share it with others. So while photography and farming are not my passion they are my purpose in this current season of my life and i'm going to enjoy them both for as long as God needs me here.