What Lights You Up?

Two of my daughters like to watch a children’s television show sometimes about a boy who loves art. Whenever Artie dreams up an exciting new idea or accomplishes a creative goal, he exclaims, “That lights me up!” It got me thinking about what gives each of my kids, and myself, that feeling of excitement and passion.

It has been said that the opposite of depression is not happiness, but purpose. In a world where discouragement and depression are hard to avoid, I want my kids to stay connected to that spark that God put in each of them, the thing that lights them up. Because when people are doing what they love and contributing something meaningful to the world, they flourish, even if they have to fight for it sometimes.

So my kids and I sat down together and we drew some light bulbs. Inside each lightbulb, we wrote something that lights us up, something we feel happy and alive when we’re doing. Their lists of passions might not be fully developed yet at age 4, 6, 10, but there are clearly indications even at a young age of what makes each of them tick, and it was helpful to see a visual representation of what each of us was, perhaps, born to do. We need these reminders sometimes, because busyness, discouragement, daily responsibilities and distractions can pull us away from what we love. We need to remind ourselves of what brings us joy.

We also have the opportunity to do this reminding for each other. We can help create space for the people we love to reconnect with who they are and what they love to do, whether that be art, writing, music, spending time in nature, or even building with Legos. If one of my kids is in the middle of an enthralling project, I can sometimes resist the urge to interrupt them with a chore request, especially if that child has been a little out of sorts. And while I may not always feel like going on a weekend hike, if I know that getting outside is essential for my husband to thrive, I can be more intentional about making it happen.

Doing what we love is not only vital for our own well-being. The world needs what each of us has to offer. I have always loved writing. Throughout elementary school, high school and beyond, you could often find me writing poetry, stories, or encouraging letters for friends who needed cheering up. As I got older, faith became my favorite thing to write about, and I loved doing it because I felt hopeful that my words could somehow make God more accessible to people. This passion has gotten put on the back burner in recent seasons because I’ve allowed my responsibilities and other distractions to crowd it out. I told myself I wasn’t writing because I didn’t have the inspiration or the energy, but the truth is, perhaps it was the other way around.

It was when I heard my husband teaching our kids the parable of the talents that I realized I needed to get my butt into gear. In Matthew 25, Jesus tells his disciples the story of a master who entrusts his workers with sums of his money to invest while he is away. Each person is given a different amount, but in the end the master is pleased with each one of them who has put his money to good use according to their abilities and has made it grow. But the servant who buried what he was given out of laziness and fear has his taken from him and given to one who would put it to good use.

That’s been me, I knew. How busy I am or whether or not I’m as talented as someone else doesn’t matter. I hadn’t been putting to use the ability that God has given me when I have a responsibility to do so. I may never be a best-selling author, but what if there is someone out there who needs to hear something that I have the ability to share with them? It was soon after this that I returned to blogging again, and I’ve got some other writing projects in the works, as well. Because I can. Because I should. And because I love doing it, even if I have to fight hard to make it happen. And I’ll let you in on a little secret: I feel more alive than I have in quite some time.

What makes you come alive, friend? Is it songwriting? Adoption advocacy? Mentoring? Photography? Managing resources efficiently? Teaching? Carpentry? Whatever it is that you care about and are gifted at (no matter how big or small the ability may be), it’s in you for a reason. And I’ll be the one to say it: If it’s in you, you have a responsibility to use it.

The world needs what’s inside of you, my friend. The world needs you. So go out there and invest what you’ve been given. You can start small, but start somewhere. You only get one life, so give it all you’ve got. You’ll be able to look back with no regrets, and you just might find a lot more joy along the way.