Clay in the Hands

Last night, Kristi and I did something we don’t do very often. We attended a concert.

If you know me very well, you know that I love music – all kinds of music. While most of my listening is dedicated to Christian music, I also indulge occasionally in other genres. I grew up on 80’s Rock and there is still a part of me that enjoys a well-played guitar.

So several weeks ago, I did something impulsive – I bought tickets to the ZZ Top concert. While Kristi is not necessarily a rocker (more of a country girl), she agreed to go with me – what a trooper!

I have been to concerts performed by artists whose time in the spotlight had been lived out decades before and the experience was not pleasant – most of them should have moved on and not tried to live in the past (a lesson we could learn from but a post for another day).

Last night, I watched and listened as an aging Billy Gibbons, Dusty Hill and Frank Beard, two of which still donned dark sunglasses and sported impressive beards, played the songs of my younger days.  I was impressed to the point of being amazed at how Tres Hombres still command the stage but do so with an awareness and ownership of who they are today.  They blended the older elements of their show (fuzzy guitars and sunglasses) with an authentic sound.  They did  not reproduce the sounds first recorded 40 years ago.  They played those old songs to be sure, but they did so with new twists and matured riffs.

As I sat and listened, I thought about how important it is to live out our passions.  But the danger in doing that is sometimes we want to live in the glory days of the past.  We remember a time when things were great and we want to live there.  However, what I have come to see time and time again is the “glory days” were not quite as glorious as we remember.

We need to own our passions and seek daily to live within them, doing the things God has gifted us to do for his glory.  Part of the living out of those passions is having the authenticity to accept the fact that as we mature, our passions mature as well.  We do not need to feel the need to try and relive the past but rather understand how are passions best fit the needs today.

God has created you on purpose for his purpose.  And that purpose is to serve him daily by using your gifts and passions to bring glory to him in ever changing ways.

Live into those passions with authenticity today!