Tuesday, April 15, 2014

13 Questions



On Monday night I had the delightful opportunity to speak at Church of the Open Door’s 20-Somethings young adult group.  This group means a lot to me.  I even have a scene in my book where I’m sitting around a table at 20-Somethings, alongside my peers, wrestling together over some deep questions.

I thought about these moments as I prepared my talk on calling.  I wanted to pose some deep questions because I believe that what God calls us to do is wrapped up in who God created us to be.  These questions seemed to be a “crowd pleaser,” so I’m posting them here for your reflection.  Pray about your answers.  Talk them over with close friends.  I think you’ll enjoy the answers they provoke.

1.        Where are you from?  Many of us were born and raised in Minnesota, but some of you were born elsewhere: maybe a different state or a foreign country.  Some of you were adopted.
2.       What kind of training have you received?  This could be formal or informal.  Answers could include: internships, mentoring, college degrees or licenses.  Maybe you’re currently pursuing a career or desire training in a specific field.
3.       What are you passionate about?  I used to have a college professor ask me this and it drove me nuts; I didn’t know how to answer him.  I know this is a vague question, but if you have an answer, write one down.  If not, the next two questions should help.
4.       What makes you giddy?  I’m talking about the kind of happy that keeps you up at night.  You are willing to text your friends at unforgiveable hours of the morning because you can’t help but share the news.  You want to tell everyone you know and everyone you don’t know.
5.       What makes you angry?  I’m not talking about being annoyed.  I’m talking about the kind of anger that helps you discover the fire within you that you didn’t know you had.
6.       What was the last story you entered into? What was it about? Perhaps you caught a news clip, read a book, saw a movie, or entered into a conversation where you felt like you entered into the story itself.  You could strongly identify with the character(s) and felt like you were living it right alongside them.
7.       Do you have a hero in real life?  Who is it and how have they impacted you?
8.       If you could quit your job and devote all of your time and energy to one of your hobbies, what would it be?  I’m not advocating this, but I do want you to think about what you enjoy doing.
9.       What is the last thing you sat down and cried about?  This does not include the sad movie you just watched, this has to be something that interrupted your plans and caused you to observe your grief.
10.   What are you afraid of?
11.   What do you find yourself circling back to in prayer?  I often find myself praying in my car because when you’re strapped in, there’s nowhere else to go.  You too?  Then think about your last several “car conversations” you held with God.
12.   What are some of your lingering desires?  This might be something so deep within you that you are afraid to say aloud.  When I talk about lingering, I mean something that you’ve wanted for a long time even though the seasons of your life have changed.
13.   What passage of scripture do you find yourself “chewing on?”  In other words, what verses often come to mind during the “empty” spaces of your day.

      In closing, I’d like to share this video with you from Mathew West.  It tells the story of a woman named Andrea who followed the call of God on her life.   This led her to start an orphanage in Uganda.  She was the inspiration for the song Do Something.  Enjoy!

        Here is the link to the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0qX5wcFUV4I







Image Source

No comments:

Post a Comment