We were all asked as kids what we want to be when we grow up. I asked my son this very question just last week while filling out his school-days keepsake book. His answer? “Um, I’d like to be Iron Man or Spiderman.” I laughed because it was such a little boy thing to say, but then I got to thinking… what if one day he actually comes to me and says, “Mom, I don’t want to be a lawyer anymore, I want to be a professional juggler.” Dare I tell him it’s not realistic to be a professional juggler if he believes it’s his super-hero calling?
We allow our kids to dream when it’s age appropriate, when it’s something cute to record in their memory books, when it’s something funny we can one day laugh about together. But let’s be honest, when they reach a certain age we expect them to grow up, get real jobs, and start taking life seriously. Being the voice of reason is just a nice way of squashing dreams. “Encouraging” them to pick a safe life is our way of “protecting” them, right?
But what if professional juggling IS serious to him?
Once upon a time we were all those kids – the ones with the super-hero dreams. At some point we all had to grow up, we had to get real jobs and start taking life seriously. So we suppressed the inner super-hero and tried our best to deal with the disconnect and discontent we felt/still feel on a daily basis. But what happens when the inner kid won’t leave us alone? What happens when the stirrings in our souls are just too much to contain? What if, deep down, the cloak-sportin’-super-hero is just dying to break free?
What happens when we feel like God is asking us to step out in faith, and we are more scared, and yet, more alive, than ever before?
Today’s post is about a guy named Travis Holownia – I guy I greatly respect – and what I want you to focus on and appreciate about Travis’s feature today is not in what he actually does. Yes, he’s the leader of a pretty cool movement that is inspiring and hopes to continue inspiring many more lives. Yes, he’s a pretty smart dude who holds a couple of degrees. Yes, he believes for big things, pursues big dreams and has huge vision. But beyond the surface, can anyone be like Travis? Yes! Why? Because it’s not what we do that makes us great, it’s who we are. It’s about the intent behind our actions, the motive of our hearts, the commitment to our faith, and the surrender of our lives that mean more to God than anything we could do for Him. Besides, we’re here on earth to do HIS work, not here so he can help us do ours.
Sometimes our greatest acts of purpose can begin when we take our greatest leaps of faith.
Enter Travis.
To be around Trav is to be challenged to live a life of depth. Travis is dynamic. He is contagious. And he is passionate about purpose. He asks tough questions that require thoughtful answers and when you leave his radius, you find yourself thinking of what more you can do to make the world a better place. Everything he does and says stems from a place of sheer passion and deep faith. And he’s doin’ it. He’s out there in the world pursuing the life he was meant to pursue and inspiring people in the process. But it hasn’t been easy. It still isn’t easy. Faith is complicated.
If there were one thing you could share that you have learned about faith, what would it be?
Faith can appear crazy. It requires you to step out, take a leap, to do something that doesn’t make sense in the natural. It is often not practical, or logical, and requires you to think outside the box.
With a degree in Engineering, I have an analytical mind. I understand how faith can appear crazy cause a lot of things about faith don’t make sense to me. I wrestle with being practical, sensible, logical, all the while understanding that God’s thoughts and ways are higher than mine.
But can I really call faith faith if I can see how everything is going to work out? Is it faith if you can sit down and figure out that 1+1=2?
This new journey I am on is crazy. In a lot of ways it isn’t logical, or practical; it isn’t something an Engineer would typically do – take a leap of faith and dive headfirst into something so full-time with no stability and security – but the question I keep hearing is: “Do you trust me?”
I have preached about faith.
I have listened to many sermons about faith.
I love hearing about other people’s stories of faith.
The Bible itself is filled with stories about faith – people exhibiting the seemingly crazy.
But when the time comes to live acts of faith, well, then it’s a whole new ball game.
What challenge could you share with my readers?
Maybe once upon a time you had a dream… it was a long time ago… time has passed… circumstances have happened… storms have come… maybe you’ve forgotten… whatever the case, today I would like to remind you of the dream.
Your dream will certainly require you to take a crazy leap of faith… doubts will come… it will not be easy… excuses to not pursue it will always appear. But today, as you read this, in your heart you know you need to go after it. True success is when we chase the dream He puts in our hearts.
Deep in my heart I knew He was calling me, but leaping off a cliff with no parachute and no idea how to make one defies my analytical, logical mind. I prayed for peace. I wanted to know peace. But I realized that my desire for peace stemmed from my need for control, and that left very little room for faith.
Might I remind you that God’s dream for the Kingdom involves you. It involves me. When we pursue our dreams, it allows those around us to pursue theirs. And when we move forward afraid, we allow God’s strength to be made evident.
