What is your passion?

What is your passion?

Over lunch last Sunday, the youth pastor-equivalent, Ed, asked me how M did at the competition last weekend. I'd been late to that youth advisors meeting in order to spend time at M's horse show.

(Sunday's horse show went great, btw, M was laughing, really enjoyed it (and got a solo first, a solo second, and a team second! yeah!!!). But, I knew he meant the Oireachtas.

I gave Ed the summary and we were chatting about M and the Oireachtas. Then, he interrupted me, "Wait, there are BOYS there, too?" "Yeah," I responded with a shrug. "How do you convince boys to dance, I mean, this," Ed paused to attempt hand dancing, "this kind of dancing?"

Admittedly, only so many boys take dancing classes regularly and have familial and societal and personal support for doing so, compared to girls.  (Those who do, however, ah, the girls who dance LIKE the boys who dance!)  "You don't. [At this level,] you can't keep them FROM dancing." I tried to explain.   When someone hears music playing, and he has to move, when he hears Irish music, and he can't NOT dance. At the Oireachtas, M wasn't unusual.   She was one of over 1,000 [Irish step dancers]; her dancing constantly, while "walking" down the halls, was normal. Hearing music in their own heads, an internal beat or rhythm they may not even be fully conscious of. The boys have that inside of them, too.

(There was a girl there at the second night of awards dancing away in place as if absent-mindedly. She wasn't practicing for her competition; they were over. Other parents and dancers know instinctively to move out of the way (IDers kick, lol).)

Ed took this in, and relayed how he feels when he's at a youth workers convention or youth pastors get together. It's really neat for him, as he doesn't get that opportunity to be around others "like" him / doing his type of job, very often.

(These conventions can be so powerful, so God-filled, it's likely a huge spiritual connection and high, also.) He's lived in Israel, he felt called by God. He can't NOT do it, so to speak. I've known Ed since he was in middle school, I believe what I'm writing about him.   Even if he knows he must meet each youth at his/her place, he implements realistic ideas for outreach, and growing deeper in the Lord's word for those ready for that challenge. Etc.  To work with youth, to share his love and convictions of the Lord Jesus Christ, is his passion.

Each of us are given different gifts in life. Are any of your gifts things that you can't not do, to really be truly yourself, a passion? Or, with a little bit of tweaking, some encouragement, it could grow to be a passion? If so, do you find some way to utilize your gift(s), your passion?

Had my ceili/set dance group's Christmas party tonight:) Very nice, as always. Food and more food, (we were late to so M could dress up, finish some homework, and we could wrap the gifts).   Then there is always caroling to a pianist or two or three, all members of the group. Traditional hymns, We Three Kings, O Holy Night, others I may not have another chance to sing with M this year, a few fun songs (Frosty even!), and Christmas in Killarney (sp). We only sing that song there. It's a family party, all ages. Then 12 days of Christmas, separated into groups, rofl, it's always funny and hence, fun.   After a small break, everyone goes to grab the wrapped gifts we each brought, and get into two circles, one big one for adults, one smaller one for children. To the reading of "the night before Christmas," we pass the gifts to the left, every time the word "the" is read. It's pretty funny, too.    I was pleased that one of the youngest children got our "kids" gift -- an outgrown, great condition shirt M had whenshe first started with that group at age 7.5, and a large candy cane with a nice snowman puppet on it.   I figured if it got to a child small enough to fit into the shirt, he won't care about the shirt so much, and he didn't.  He went for the snowman:)

M had a choice tonight, go to the youth group annual Christmas party, familyone so I'd go with her, or this one. She had wanted the one with all others her age, but chose this one tonight instead. She knows what to expect, abd she likes it. People like seeing her again, too:) She dressed up, wore a new sweater whose color caught my eye, told her I'd likely wrap it back up for her for Christmas, too:) It was maybe going to be mine even. Wore her flashing ornament necklace, leggings. So grown up looking, as did the other girls there. The house FULL of Christmas decorations, even more so, somehow, than in the past years:) M declined my taking her photo. Oh, well. She wasn't so sure she liked her gift at first, but another parent knew her boy wanted it, and offered a trade. M really liked the trade! so all left happy, lol.   She enjoyed chatting, but seemed a bit beat so we didn't stay until the end.   "Mom, this bump hurts some."   A swollen gland.   U-oh.

I know this portion doesn't fit with "what is your passion" part. But I felt like sharing:) It's a "real" Christmas celebration. Heck, one dancer's dad played bagpipes for us while we re-checked out desserts:) night night all. Peace, love, hope to all of you. And, yes, if you have a gift that could be a God-given passion, consider it.

Tags: Irish dancing, Irish stepdancing, Oireachtas