As someone who is employed in higher education, there is no greater delight for me than to be a witness to the moment when who God created a person to be sparks a lifetime calling to a vocation. To be clear, this is not a frequent occurrence in my life of a Defining Moment; rather, it typically unfolds as a process over an extended period of time, often when the list of general core classes has been fulfilled and a student is now at a crossroads and forced to make a choice. If you have any experience engaging with emerging generations, I imagine you see this scenario playing out before you quite frequently, and with good reason, as many of my blog posts address the challenges current generations face when entering adulthood. But I wonder if there is more that we can do to equip students while on their journey to Find Their Flame and then, to Be Still, taking just a moment for a flash of celebration.

As I attempt to imagine a flourishing future for my students, I return again and again to the wisdom that Ken Costa shares in Know Your Why and the probing, yet thoughtful, questions he asks all of us to consider, regardless of what Season of Life we happen to be traveling through. One of the reasons I am challenged by the concept of developing a Habit of Awareness is expressed by Costa, “For as [Jesus] shows us more about ourselves, we learn more about the powerful calling he has on our lives, callings that equip us to see a future where the best is yet to come. So often the world expects you to behave in a certain way. Perhaps your parents wanted you to join the family business or teachers encouraged you to study one subject or another. But often what the world has planned for you and what God has planned for you are very different.” Here, Costa is urging readers to find clarity in their own identities first, and then to consider how to Find Your Flame.

Identifying someone who has Found Their Flame is not a challenging task, as the person likely has a contagious grin, a light emitting from deep inside, and they are unburdened by their task because they are In the Zone. Unfortunately, our society rarely celebrates these milestones as often as we cheer when someone we don’t personally know, such as an athlete, scores a touchdown. Imagine how boring the viewing would be to witness a conversation between Kelley Faulkner Warren and myself when she makes a tough decision to change her major and follow her Flame into education. The two of us might have engaged in a fist bump, high five, or hug, but no one was waiting outside A-20A with pom poms and confetti that day. And how more significant was that moment, knowing she would touch thousands of young lives in her career, than an athlete adding points to a scoreboard?

Now, I am as guilty as the next sports fan of enjoying that scoring drive from the Heisman trophy winner as if I contributed personally to the play; yet, there are times when I think we should be realigning our values so that when a person Finds Their Flame, we celebrate that moment with as much gusto. Imagine the shift if we invested in a person who is in the midst of their God-given calling of landscaping and tending a lawn the same way we invest billions of dollars to watch athletes on the field. Visualize the pride of a job well done as the grass is nurtured, making it not only a beautiful sight of vivid green, but a simple masterpiece. However, we don’t pay to watch grass grow! Or consider another scenario. Who is likely to purchase footage of the dad instructing his son on batting techniques, witnessing the inner glow of purpose on his face when the son finally “gets it”? These are the moments when a person has Found Their Flame, and I don’t know about you, but I would find a massive amount of delight in being a witness when this occasion occurs.

So, I challenge those of us who are currently building the Essential Nutrients of Relational Equity with the emerging generation to consider how we can, not only assist in the journey to Find Their Flame, but to also celebrate being responsive to the difficult task of listening to God’s calling. Please feel free to share your comments in the area below.

Reference:

Costa, K. (2016). Know your why: Finding and fulfilling your calling in life. W Publishing.