What Keeps You Up At Night?

My husband and I have the pleasure of hosting the newcomer’s brunch every Sunday morning at our church. We get to meet new people and tell them about our fabulous church, let them know how to get involved, and answer any questions they might have. A man visiting the other morning asked this question of our pastor."As the leader of this church,  what keeps you up at night?"

My mind started racing with thoughts,  both deep and funny.  I wanted to say, "Last night's Torchy's Taco run and 4 hours of The Bachelor on my DVR." But I knew that was not what he meant. ( and would not be appropriate.) He wanted to know what we, as a church were passionate about. These questions have been stuck in my mind all week.

What keeps you up at night?

What are you passionate about? If you are a busy mom like me, many things can keep you up at night, the bills, the kids, your family calendar, and how to get so and so to the such and such at blah blah blah with him and her, and what did she mean when she said that to me at the grocery store?

I don't think these are passions any more than a kicky toddler or a snoring hubby…  These I would classify as worries.  Worry will keep you up at night for sure, but worries can and should be prayed about, talked about, worked out, sorted, and filed. In fact, God has specifically commanded us not to worry and gave us a plan to rid us of our anxieties that can be found in the Bible.

Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.  I Peter 5:7

Who of you, by worrying, can add a single hour to his life? Matt 6:27

Ask, and it will be given to you. Matthew 7:7

Passions, on the other hand, keep you up at night planning, dreaming, and building.  And when I pray about my passions, they take shape, and I get excited thinking about them late at night. I believe these are the very things we are hard-wired for and one of the reasons God created you and me.

My husband loses sleep thinking of new and innovative ways to advance his business, ways to make money for his company, and about building churches.  These truly are his passions.  These days, I think about writing books and helping women navigate through parenthood.  I feel like parenting is more than just what I "do" It is a passion of mine, and I dream about how to do it better, not in a worrisome way, but in an exciting, adventurous way. I also dream about how to grow the church and reach more people.  

All of this has been in me forever, and they take turns being at the forefront of my sleepless nights. They keep me awake in scary, exciting, adventurous ways that worry does not. The other day I was walking through the kitchen and forgot what I was doing.  (happens a lot!) My daughter asked me, "Well, what were you doing before this?"  

The words hung in the air as if a dream sequence of a sitcom were about to start, and I got a little teary-eyed, partly because it has been so long since I did anything else and partly because there isn't anything else I would rather do... what was I doing... before this?..... que smoke and bubbly music.... before what? Before I walked in the room or before you all came.... or before I met your dad...I smiled and said.." I don't know, babe, I just don't even know!"

These people are my dream and my passion.

What keeps you up at night?

Do you dream of owning an antique store,  returning to teaching,  having a photography business, a bakery, or a health and wellness business? Are you passionate about finding ways to help hurting teens,  concur homelessness, or cure cancer? 

I believe there are God-given passions living deep inside us all, sometimes, they have to take a back burner for a season. But I bet they still keep you up at night. Long after lunches have been made, the toddler has stopped kicking, and your worries have been sorted, filed, and given over to the Lord, ask God to fan the flame on your dreams.  You never know what could happen. I believe the world would be a better place, at least a little more exciting anyway if we would allow our dreams and passions to take shape and become a reality.

Dream on... Dream on... Dream until your dreams come true.

-Aerosmith