Decide To Be Passionate.

"People love what other people are passionate about" - Mia, La La LandFor anyone who has seen that movie, did anyone else leave the theater with this sentence still ringing in your head? For me, it was one of those things where she said it and the movie kept going but I was still a few minutes into the past, hearing that one line over and over again.Lately I've been sort of in this constant and subtle state of thinking about what I am passionate about. What other people are passionate about. What that means. Why people are passionate about things and why everyone is passionate about different things and why we should share those passions and pursue those passions and connect with people who share your passions and even with those who don't.Lately, two different types of people have been standing out to me: those that ceaselessly and beautifully pursue their passions, and then those that pretend that they are passionate about nothing at all.I am a passionate person. There are definitely weaknesses in that and I am flawed and broken, but it's not difficult for me to be passionate about something and to be goal and relationship oriented.For those of you familiar with the Enneagram, I am a type 2 (the Helper), but almost equally I am also a type 4 (the individualist) and a type 7 (the enthusiast). After taking the test, these results made incredible sense. Type 2 is all about relationships. Type 4 is goal and future oriented. Type 7 is passionate and adventurous. (On a side note, research the Enneagram, it's fascinating.)I understand that sometimes I might be overly enthusiastic about things such as relationships or the future or adventures. But at the same time, it deeply troubles me when people are stagnant and not pursuing the things they love or the things they are curious about. Whether or not you're a deeply passionate person, we all have things we love and are passionate about. We all have things that light a spark in us and we all have things that burden us. We all have things we long to understand and we all have desires and dreams we long to see fulfilled. This, I think, is so important. Every single thing that we feel deeply within us was put there by God. He gave the astronauts a passion for the sky and the stars and everything beyond our Earth in order so that they can go out and discover it and bring glory to Him. He gave the teachers a passion for knowledge, learning, and children, so that they can equip and strengthen each generation. He gave doctors and nurses a passion for the sick and broken, so that they are able to heal. He gave every single person something. And one thing that can be said for all followers of Christ is that He has given them a passion for Himself. He has grabbed the heart of each believer and absolutely set it on fire for his Kingdom. It's a passion so strong that those with the Holy Spirit absolutely cannot ignore it, cannot run from it, cannot pretend (no matter how hard we may try) that it is not there.words by Sara Beth Pritchard and photo by Kate Bartley