"You know why they volunteered? Because they knew that the man in the foxhole next to them would be the best, not some draftee who's going to get them killed... Don't ever put yourself in the position where you can take from these men." - Richard Winters, Band of Brothers
I want to take a step back for a moment; to return to what gave shape to my identity and ultimately, my mission-- my values.
Understanding my values and excavating them from my soul has been, and continues to be, a task of bravery and determination that requires absolute resolve to not only listen to my heart but to simultaneously listen to the voice of my Lord and King. The simple solution would be to think about it intensely and make intellectually sound decisions, but this would betray my core essence and forfeit any real, lasting relevance to my life because then I would not be resonating with what truly brings me alive. That is the goal of discovering values-- what makes my heart come alive?
What is a value? A quality, experience, or way of engaging life that fills me up, gets my blood going, and nourishes my soul. It is not an activity that I am doing but rather a lens through which I gaze into life and filter the crap from the exciting. Each person's values differ, each unique.
As I began describing the vision board that I brought with me, I told stories about why certain images resonated with me and how they made me feel. The type of emotions they invoked within me and the life that each picture lit up within my soul.
Patterns and repeated phrases slowly became apparent but I became frustrated with the length of the process. Nothing seemed transferable enough or grand enough to stand the test of a multitude of environments. Some perceived values were small and only applied to certain portions of my life. Other values didn't even make sense at first.
I prayed. Then I prayed some more.
Then I listened and asked Jesus to reveal to me what He was trying to tell me. The answers did not arrive like a protagonist on a white horse about to sweep in and save the day. No, the answers were not swift. They danced on the fringes of the firelight of my soul and pranced on the periphery of my mind's eye. My heart's ears listened intently for hours, days. Even after the Braveheart council had adjourned, with each brave warrior returning to his domain, I was still pressing into the values and asking questions.
With pen in hand, I waited. I waited like a battalion leader eagerly and singularly focused on the battle line, anticipating that at any moment gunfire would break the mind-numbing silence and chaos would ensue. Like drops dripping from a leaky faucet, my values began to fill up the bucket of my parched soul.
They are...
Provoker-- this is my voice. I must be heard. I must contribute.
Vanguard Elite-- entrepreneurial battalion leader. I must go but I do not go alone. I lead the pack and show the way.
Apprenticeship & Mastery-- a leader of leaders. I must invest in others who will not simply consume but contribute and master the strength they inherit from me by apprenticing others to do the same.
Water Bender-- rhythm and flow. Life MUST have a rhythm and flow.
Cultural Architect-- creating environments. I must create a new reality. I am most alive when I am shaping and crafting the culture, environment, and experiences around me.
Barbarian-- autonomy. I cannot be contained. Labels, rigid constraints, and conjectured ideals will only stifle my existence. I must challenge the status quo and break preconceived molds.
Alchemist-- imaginative creativity. I must create. I must be unique.
"Euripides"-- insatiable curiosity. Question everything (respectfully and humbly). Learn something (everyone has a story). Answer nothing (be quick to listen and slow to speak).
The names are of no consequence and have very little meaning to the average onlooker but resonate deeply with me. That is the point to the obscure names, they have resonance with my soul (the quotes notate a place holder name that has yet to be decided).
As I have leaned into these values over the past week, they are truly representative of the aforementioned definition of a value and have proved to be invaluable in directing and guiding what I say "yes" to and what I say "no" to, good or bad. I have found freedom in resting in these values, reaffirmed time and time again by my Spirit within me and even at times Scripturally, though not all are explicitly named in Scripture (yet they are not overtly denied by Scripture either).
Come and see, scared little boy, the most excellent way has been revealed. Let us no longer hold to timidity but be clothed in Strength. For I am FireWolf and that is the truest part of our identity.
|
composed by
dave
|
