All on Fire

It's Monday morning, a good time to share a few thoughts about being "all on fire."

 I've been on fire since November for the needs of the people in South Sudan, using the simple gift of baking pies to raise funds. The freezer compartments of our two fridges are filled with pies. A cupboard in our basement is filled with flour, sugar, shortening, cookie sheets and cooling racks; and baking pie is never far from my mind. Other people have joined with me in numerous ways, from donating time and supplies to buying pies.One pie at a time, almost $3000 has been raised so far. 

 I am energized by a vision of the need and an awareness that I live a life of privilege in the wealthy west. When I'm rolling out pastry in my spare time, that's what drives me; the passion that burns in my heart; the energy that turns what could feel like hard work into a joy.

 Yesterday morning at church, a young woman announced that she'll be working with the children on an Easter program. Her face glowed and her eyes sparkled as she explained her plans--the process of auditions, practices etc.. She said that she was "All on fire," ready to share her gifts of organization and drama. 

 Another person announced that our church freezers are full of ready made meals, cooked by someone in the congregation who is an excellent cook. The meals are for people in the community who are in personal crisis or need--an outreach by our Missions Team.

 I realized that all of these examples have some common factors:
A natural gift or inclination...tied to a vision....that births a passion... that inspires others to join in and help meet a need--of our neighbour; our community; or our world.

 So what does that mean to us on a Monday morning, faced with multiple priorities to juggle and always the unexpected that will surely insert itself into our day?

 It's the reason to dig deep for the "why," that we can lose sight of in the pressure of the day. It's the people behind the paperwork; the passion for lives lived with dignity and value. 

Doing so will energize us to share the unique gifts within us with vision and passion.

 I imagine all of us as neurons firing in a body, pulsing with energy. For an amazing video of this in reality--click on the link below!

Firing Neurons--Cell Dance 2010

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