Enthusiasm is Contagious!

Here's what I love: Enthusiasm is contagious.

We went out with some new friends on Saturday night.  Let’s call them Ron and Wendy.  We ate pizza.  Outside.  It was glorious.

These new friends have only been married 3 years.  I was asking some of the typical questions for newly weds—about in-laws and the like.  Fortunately, they both liked one another’s parents, so that was lucky. 

We did touch on the fact that families do things differently and that all families have quirks. 

“Like what?” I inquired. 

“Like birds.”  The wife answered.

You see, this young bride married a very sporty, “man’s man” from a very athletic family.  However, his parents were also very into birds.  They knew names of birds, species of birds and what they looked like etc.  They had bird books on their coffee table and recognized all the birds that came to their feeder. 

This was mildly interesting to this new wife who did not even know what the Tennessee state bird was.  She was now married to a bird enthusiast!

There at dinner, she whipped out her phone to show me an example of her husband’s above-average bird expertise.  She showed me a picture of some colorful birds on the bird feeder that her husband had procured for the yard of their new home together. 

The birds were lovely, colorful little things.

Her husband exclaimed, “Look Wendy! The Finches are eating from our birdfeeder!”

Finches.

He knew what type of bird they were.

Here’s the thing, now Wendy does too.  Wendy knows what Finches look like.  She also knows that the Tennessee State Bird is the Mockingbird. 

You see, Ron came from a family who loved birds.  They did not send him to bird school or force him to participate in bird watching or have pop-quizzes over breakfast about birds.  They merely shared their love for birds with him.  Over time, he too developed his own love for birds, which he is now passing along to his young bride.

When we love something, we can’t help but talk about it.  Enthusiasm is contagious. 

My mom loves Jesus.  Throughout my childhood, she talked about Him as we went about our daily lives.  Just as naturally as Ron pointed out the Finches at the feeder, my mom would point to God's work in my life.  

I came to love Him too, and hopefully, my own passion for Christ is evident to those around me as we go about our daily lives. 

What are you passionate about?

^{Deuteronomy 6:6-7}

⁶ These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. ⁷ You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up.

^{Matthew 5:16}

¹⁶ Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.

^{2 Corinthians 2:14}

¹⁴ But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place.