One thing that amazes me time and time again is what somebody can accomplish when they have a passion for something!
New Life Children’s Centre was birthed out of somebody having a passion to see Gambian children given the opportunity to learn and make a better life for themselves. From there, literally hundreds of people have visited the work and all come back with various degrees of passion for the project. Some have come back, told their friends and families, and many more children have been sponsored as a result. Others have felt the challenge to commit time every week to work in the Gambian Charity shop in Newark which makes an incredible financial contribution into NLCC. Others have managed to get schools, churches and other organisations involved. What is the key component in all of this? PASSION.
When something captures your heart and you realise that you can not only make a significant difference to other people’s lives but it can also give you a reason to get up in the morning – everyone’s a winner!
I’m guessing that over the past 18 years, NLCC has invested into and grown tens of thousands of Gambians, giving them a kickstart in life that they wouldn’t otherwise have had. We never really get to see the impact we make on this earth, but nevertheless, we should strive to find something that we can be passionate about and sow ourselves into. Just doing this gives our lives meaning and purpose beyond ourselves.
Once you have a passion for something – don’t let it die! We’ve all been in a situation where we get excited about possibilities and involvement in something greater than ourselves, then as our normal everyday life ticks by, we fall back into the mundane and forget the very thing that made our heart race and our spirit come alive. How do we keep the passion? Firstly, we remind ourselves daily that we are able to live above and beyond just our own existence on this earth. Secondly, we need to start to dream about the possibilities of how we can be effective in what we are passionate about, maybe making ourselves available to serve the vision and working out how our gifts and strengths can be added and used to the maximum. Finally, we need to keep going back to the place that caught our passion in the first place. A single piece of coal can lose its heat very quickly when it is placed on its own away from the other burning coals on the fireplace. Pop it back in the fire and it will glow again and make the whole fire more effective and make a bigger difference.
Get a passion. Keep the passion. Make a difference to others and ultimately to yourself!
Be blessed
Sian Wade
Church Leader at Bridge Church Lincoln & Trustee of NLCC
