It is the question I receive the most. Through email, through PMs, in person. I see in eyes and words that certainty and hope that whispers either, "Tell me your secret? How you found it?" or, more honestly, "Tell me where mine is?"
The impassioned path.
At fast count, a hundred people have asked me for road maps to divinity. Not one of them was a New Testament Christian. (Defined: One who hears Christ directly. Who accepts personal revelation. Who embraces the journey. One who answers only to Christ.)
Scripture says that no man knows when the Rapture will occur. Period. Not prophets or popes, not preachers or teachers. This is almost universally accepted in sane denominations (did I just write that?) but rarely do they go so far as to admit that no man will know another's impassioned path. Cast not the first stone? Yes, and how about cast not another man onto a path not his own?
So does this mean I have the map but I'm just not sharing? That I'm pulling a caterpillar/butterfly "The Dream Tree" ego-trip and whispering to the wind, "You will know it when you get there, little caterpillar. You will know..." *voice trailing off as I spread my gossamer wings and fly*
*smirk*
No. I don't have a map and I never had one. Not to my path and not to anyone else's. If someone had handed me one (a helpful pamphlet perhaps or brochure with a ten-step approach) I would have dropped it at their feet or thanked them politely and dropped it in the recycle. If another man could tell us our way, we wouldn't need to shut up and hear Christ now would we? So... when someone tries to tell me my path, I can only assume I'm either talking to a well-meaning idiot or to satan. No *shaking head* this gamer grrl angel don't ask for directions. I've got what I need right here *tapping my heart*
So. Why are you here then, right? What good is it if I won't give you easy answers? I said to a friend lately, "If were easy, everyone would be walking their impassioned path, everyone would be a New Testament Christian and no one would care who kissed a grrl just whether or not cherry chap stick brings glory to God." The answer might surprise you.
It begins as a feeling. Maybe distant. Maybe overwhelming. You may confuse it at first with "passion" because the impassioned path is often passionate, enraptured truth. It will give your cheeks color. You will not be ashamed to think about it or talk to Christ about it again and again and again. You might keep it a secret from some for safety... but not from Christ. He will be your best friend. You will laugh and sigh and blush for Him when you share how you feel. You will feel like a child, free and alive. You will feel like an adult, strong and confident. You will feel like you have wings.
You will become an angel of the Lord.
The impassioned path brings glory to Christ. It rarely brings glory to you. If it does, remove that component. I waive my royalties. I changed my name. I don't run photos. I am not the story. I am the angel and everyone knows that angels are hard to find.
The impassioned path is different for everyone. It is a new age. Think outside the box. Some friends of mine walk impassioned paths. They are: Publishing a free GLBT-positive e-zine for Mormon grrls (Ginny and Kim); Educating young men about scripture and the "Way of Christ" through online gaming (Jason); Clean, straight-talk about our bodies and how they work through in-class lectures and a line of provocative statements on modest clothes (Bobbi). Thought the impassioned path was teaching Sunday school to five year olds? Not for everyone.
The impassioned path is not about loving a single person (no matter what); or only having children (oops, sorry); or being a good elder in your house of worship. Nope, nada, negatory. These are all too easy. However, all of these things might very well be part of an impassioned path.
Also... Christ didn't say we must all walk an impassioned path. Nor must we walk an impassioned path or stay on the path once we find it to achieve some goal called heaven. Heaven is not a tier system like the developer program at IMVU. Redemption does not come in flavors or levels of tasty goodness. Levels are called incentives. Incentives were invented by man (donkey, stick, carrot) not God. Salvation is not an incentive. Christ is our savior not our point-system prize. You cannot trade in two bottom shelf amens for a top shelf hallelujah. Mother bird doesn't bribe her children to do the right thing by dangling worms in the sky. She pushes them out of the nest. Either they fly or they fall. If she has taught them right, they soar.
Think about your life. Think about when you felt happy and worthwhile, truly worthwhile. Proud in a clean and humble kind of way. Think about when you felt passionately about something, doing something, being with someone. Now think about what has been even better than that. Where was there joy like a well-spring? It wasn't in creating drama with false importance. It wasn't in hubris. It wasn't in selfish pursuit. Where was it? Find it. Remember it. Take this moment, this day, this month, this year (next twelve months) to recognize and analyze the parts of your life. Deconstructionist theory is always best either taught by a dashing college professor or applied to one's own life vigorously over corn dogs and Jello. You'll find it amazing how easy it is to see the lay of the land when you clear out the smoke and shatter the mirrors.
And if there has been nothing yet? If you can't see the path, have never felt it... then start looking now. Expose yourself to as many new things and new experiences as possible. Find it. If you want it, find it. No one else can make it happen. No one else can stop it.
The impassioned path is not a group endeavor.
Hm. What say you there, angel gamer grrl? Not a great big juicy team effort? I thought we were all in this together?! We're all working for the Big C, right? Isn't it one great big wide path? Yellow brick fun and socialization with a Christian bent? Uh, in short, no. We are born with Christ, we will die with Christ, and we live with Christ. Ultimately, we answer only to Christ with no man our intermediary and no one fully able to understand us as He does. He is all knowing. All the rest of us are small knowing.
The impassioned paths may all lead, eventually, to the same place (the arms of our Christ), but we walk them of our own accord, with our own two feet, our own heart as direction and our gaze and our gaze alone on the sky, the path and the surrounding terrain. We are responsible for our own provisions, our own deadlines, our own forks (sporks) in the road and whether or not we actually move and act or just stand and bask in the light of impassioned goodness *snort*
There might be fifty people walking the impassioned path called "Mardi Gras 3000" but every single one of them has a different path. Not a single one of us should, could, would describe our paths as the same. And none of us are waiting for someone else to give us what we need to *move.*
Life gives us the tools we need. Christ gives us the skills. Lovers, enemies, crummy parents, human parents, strangers on the street, providence, terror, falling in love, feeling desire, holding a child, making a friend laugh... life gives us the tools. Software packages, good walking shoes, brand new paint brushes, used jeans... life gives us the tools. And sometimes we look at these tools (blank book, html how-to-manual, invitation to the local church to speak) and know instantly and deeply and surely what to do with them. Other times, other tools (yellow yarn, chop sticks, an angry preacher, a goldfish named Hans, a cranky child) we have no idea... at first (make a God's Eye and give it to the preacher; teach a child about the ocean of air that we swim in and how Christ made it just for us).
Take an inventory of your tools. Quantify your assets. Think outside the box and further outside your comfort zone. Think that Christ won't appreciate your deluxe garden rake or your experience with troubled teens? Think your skills as a live-gamer or BB RPGer won't measure up? Think again. Welcome to the new day, nothing like the old day. Pray in pixels, baby. Catch up. Christ needs your whole toolbox. List them all. Use an Excel spread sheet. Sort them by how well you wield them. 1 being you manage. 5 being mastery. Go.
Leverage your tool assets into your skill set. Brainstorm what you do well. Apply these skills, backed by these tools, to that thing in your life that is impassioned. One hour every day, do it. Mix it up. Make it happen. Repeat. Increase time as able. Go.
Feel it. Think about it. Recognize it. *Walk it.*
No one is meant to stand still on an impassioned path. No one.
Not ever.
EJ
Dedicated to Honesty and Sky, forever.
