Standing Outside the Fire

When my Coach and friend, Danny Cahill, posted Are you striving, yet just barely surviving? last week, the song Standing Outside the Fire by Garth was immediately in my head. I have loved and sung that song with all my might since I was a child. My love for it magnified on a road trip of the Wests Coast with my friend Christie. We dubbed it our theme song of the trip

Life is not tried, it is merely survived, if you're standing outside the fire. 

Okay, I'll stop singing and explain the connection between Danny's blog post and this song. Stay with me! Danny's post highlights the parable of the talents found in Matthew 25. For Danny personally, he wants to simplify his life in order to be truly faithful over fewer priorities. 

From post to song to Alison's heart. I came to reflect on my own passions, my fires. 

Football. If you know me, you know I bleed red and black. I am passionate about Georgia football. NFL? Not so much. I'm excited the home team is headed to the Super Bowl - RISE UP, Falcons! I attend a Super Bowl party every year, but I don't plan my Sundays around football, like I do Saturdays in the Fall.

Teaching. I'm passionate about teaching, but "I love everything about teaching", said NO TEACHER EVER. There are elements of teaching that stir my heart and soul, they light a fire. For instance, I'm passionate about supporting struggling students and advocating for what they need. 

Fitness. My philosophy on running: my kind of running is at people. I have some friends who are passionate about running, and as I'm passionate about my friends, I sometimes join. On my own, I would rather climb a pole any day of the week!

Danny is passionate about righteousness, which manifests in his politics. I stand on the truths of my values, but prefer not to get mixed up in the political tensions. For example, I'm passionate about the pro-life movement as well as people with disabilities. I will storm the castle for my passions.

Something clicked between reading Danny's blog and singing my beloved song. If you were to tell me I'm not passionate because I'm not passionate about politics, I would be offended. I would never want people to see me as someone who doesn't stand outside the fire. And yet...I'm realizing it's not a bad thing, if I just change my perspective.

You know that phrase "too many cooks in the kitchen". I'm not MEANT for every fire. I tried so hard to get into NFL football (there might have been a guy attached to that motive). It just doesn't get me fired up, except in the last stretch of the season when they're doing well...or when they feature a former Georgia player. I spent so much energy on one struggling student yesterday, and that's exactly how it was supposed to be. That's my fire! I'll testify to, support, pray for, and vote pro-life. I won't get riled up in political debates about it. I'll leave that to Danny and others. My family and friends are among my greatest passions, next to my God. I will get fired up about them. Every time!

Where are you with your fires? Are you trying to fight too many? Are you fighting the right ones?

There's this love that is burning, deep in my soul,

Constantly yearning to get out of control. 

Wanting to fly higher and higher

I can't abide standing outside the fire!