For two years I have met for hundreds of hours on committees. I have never written a poem about it. It is deadening to my soul. I am a thinker. A writer. A preacher. A poet and songwriter. At least these are the avenues of love and service where my heart flourishes. . . .
~John Piper
While the post itself is a great reminder about the fruit of perseverance, it was this section that resonated the most with me.
…these are the avenues of love and service where my heart flourishes…
Some things deaden your soul. Others bring your soul to life.
What are the avenues of love and service that make your heart flourish?
Take a few minutes to ponder that question for yourself.
Here is what I am . . .
I am a researcher
A running joke in college was I wouldn’t buy anything without doing research first. My friends used to say: “You wouldn’t buy a pen without researching first.” To some extent that is true. I’ve spent time researching the best pen for pen spinning before. 
I love to research; finding the right tool for the job, the best product for the money.
But it’s more than just tangible products or tools. It’s knowledge as well.
Talk to any expert in a specific field and you’ll learn details and intricacies you never knew existed.
Buying a tennis racquet is more than just choosing one that looks cool.
Several factors come into play. Oversize or midplus? Standard length or longer? Head heavy or head light? Stiffer or more flexible frame? Open or dense string pattern?
I flourish seeking knowledge that leads to expertise in a given topic.
If I’m going to be _____, you better believe I’m trying to be the best _____ there is.
I am an executor
No, I don’t administer the death penalty to people.
My heart/soul is probably most alive when I’m able to execute to the best of my abilities (and knowledge).
Some people are great at delegating tasks and managing people. I am not.
Give me a task/area of responsibility and it will be done better than anyone else. Period.
It goes hand-in-hand with me being a researcher. I research in order to execute.
Nothing gives me more joy than walking away from a project proud of the work I’ve done.
Proud knowing I just didn’t get the job done, but it was done well, efficiently and “the right way,” utilizing best practices.
I am a teacher
While I love to research and execute, it brings me great satisfaction when I can consolidate my research and summarize my experience into a digestible, useful blog post.
It’s no surprise that my three most viewed blog posts are the ones I’ve shared from my research and experience.
It makes me smile when I can teach others one blog post at a time.
I’m curious. What makes your heart flourish?
Hit me up in the comments the answer to “I am a __________.”
{ 0 comments }
