Inspire!

Inspiration

What inspires you? Is it a sunset that leaves you breathless? What about a young child who asks you a surprising insightful question? Perhaps it’s overwhelming need: great poverty, a child with birth defects, or an abused woman. Maybe hearing a message from a professor or minister has provoked new thoughts or feelings.

If we are truly inspired, shouldn’t it motivate us to act differently in some way? We may talk about feeling inspired by the performance of a magnificent symphony orchestra, but if it doesn’t instigate some sort of change, was it truly inspiring or just a beautiful concert that provided an enjoyable experience for an evening?

Inspiration is rare, therefore, precious. I can count, on my fingers, the times I have been inspired, to act, as a result of something I have seen, heard, or experienced.

·       I was inspired to teach history after experiencing the story-telling style of my high-school American history teacher, Ms. Youngblood. She helped me understand the men and women of history. I could see them, in their time, and feel what they felt as she wove the tales of the past in a meaningful way. 

·       I was inspired, by a sermon, to pray for God to show me needs. It was a joy each time He revealed a need I could meet with His help. One day I said to my husband, “I don’t know of any need this family could possibly have, but as I was praying today, God said we should give money to the Richmond family.” Jack laughed and said, “God gave you the solution, but he presented me with the need.” The man had come to Jack that day, not asking for a hand-out, but asking for prayer. His family had come face-to-face with a financial roadblock, and he didn’t know what to do.

·       I was inspired by a phone call. My mother, in Michigan, was upset because her brother was in a Nashville hospital, with emphysema. She asked me to pray for him and his family. Mother was concerned for him, both physically and spiritually. I was inspired, to make the three-hour-drive across the state, to share the love of Christ with him. As a result, God saved him.

·       I was inspired to write, by a man who said I should be speaking professionally. He said writing usually led to speaking opportunities. He created an itch I needed to scratch. I started writing, and within the next month, I saw my second book published.

There are a few other inspirational moments I could point to, but I think you see what I mean. True inspiration leads to action. 

Years after moving to another state, I received a letter from Joel, a former sixth-grade student. He had just graduated from Vanderbilt University, and was continuing to work towards his Master’s degree. He discovered where I was living and wrote me a letter. He thanked me. He said that I had given him a joy in learning that inspired him to go beyond his original intentions. After his Master’s work was completed, he planned to earn a PhD. He said I’d given him a longing to learn all he could to be equipped to do all God intended for him to do.

The magnificence of inspiration comes in its inherent legacy. I knew something Joel didn’t know. If not for the inspiration I received from Ms. Youngblood, I might never have been in that sixth-grade classroom to inspire him. Had it not been for the inspiration he felt from me, he might never have made it to Vanderbilt. And, I believe Joel will likely inspire others to act beyond their dreams.

Inspiration is more than a beautiful moment spent enjoying a sunset or concert. It is beauty, a need, concern, or a message that seems meant for us alone. It leads us to think or act differently than we had previously intended. It makes us a little better than we were before we were inspired.

I bet you have enjoyed a legacy of inspiration. Pass it on.