What is your passion?

August 15, 2022

From Pastor Joseph Wamack

Some of you “older folk” might remember Cheap Trick. Cheap Trick is a rock band that formed in 1973. They have a simple philosophy over their 50 year career-never turn down a show.

“Tonight we are doing a private gig for a bunch of rich bankers” says Rick Nielson, the lead guitarist. “We once opened the Hard Rock Café at an airport in Japan and 8 people showed up. But the tour never stops and we can play anything-a stadium tour, bar mitzvah, a funeral. We can do it all.”

They have also played casinos, state fairs, and corporate gigs but are not even dreaming of quitting. “Some people hear ‘state fair’ and think, ‘Oh, that’s the end of your career’”, says Nielsen. “But I don’t get paid to play. I get paid to travel. It’s the days off that are killing me.”

I find his comments intriguing. Cheap Trick has always known how to rock and if you have seen Rick Nielson, he is one of the more interesting guitarists to watch. But I like that he says he doesn’t get paid to play, but paid to travel. His passion is to play his guitar. He loves playing his guitar. That’s why he is very good at it and wants to play whenever possible. No one needs to pay him to play his guitar. But he does need to be paid to get to where you want him to play his guitar!

Nielson has passion for what he does-he enjoys it; it fills his heart with purpose and meaning. I always longed to be a rock guitarist-having grown up watching The Beatles and Jimi Hendrix- I guess it was inevitable. But the real passion in my heart was to support people, to spread God’s grace, to “extend the healing ministry of Christ.” My first job in a hospital was in transportation-pushing people in wheelchairs, then I moved to working on psychiatric units, then to church work, then back to hospital work and now pastoring again. Each job centered on helping people. That is a passion God has given me and I love having it. I am not paid to help people-I am paid to live so I can help people.

Passion is something that fills us, gives us a deep, personal satisfaction. It is something we would do for free if we were able. Passion overflows from the fountain of the heart. Passion is a fire from within that needs to be expressed with purpose. What is your passion? What gets you up every day to do what you do? What would you do for free if you could afford it? What has God gifted you to do and to be? Pray about it. Ask God to reveal it to you.