I am a Creative - always have been and always will be. With that comes the mixed blessing of a mind that is always dreaming stuff up - always has and always will. I also love storytelling in all its forms: books, movies, television, theatre, and over the years my busy mind has spun tales for all of these genres. When I was young, I had big dreams for this creativity of mine; I was going to entertain, but the journey didn’t go as expected. Then, thank you Jesus, I learned that I could offer this creativity back to the One who gave it to me in the first place.
In reality, many of my big ideas over the years have been wasted. I didn’t do anything with them except spend time dreaming about them, then numb my creative flow with a steady intake of television shows (my drug of choice when it comes to quieting this crazy brain of mind). Recently convicted over the hours of wasted life sacrificed to screens, I asked myself this question, “What if?" What if instead of blowing off these moments of inspiration, I actually did something with them? What if I followed the Wild Hares to see where they lead? Of course they might not lead anywhere substantive, but even if that’s the case, wouldn’t the time spent in trying be more productive than time spent vegging out? The worst that could happen is that I exercise my creativity while learning something new, right?
Strange expression for me to use, “Follow the Wild Hare,” because you see, I hate Alice in Wonderland. To be exact, I hate the White Rabbit. When I was a little girl, no older than five years old, I saw the 1933 movie of the same name. It. Freaked. Me. Out. It also ushered in childhood nightmares of a giant bunny dressed in men’s clothing who would tickle me to death. Are you judging me right now? Watch this clip and then we can talk:
[Dang it! Got me again, and now I'm too old to hide in the cover of my parents' bed!]
So to test my newly found resolve, the Lord sparked a monumental idea in my heart. I have decided to write a memoir. Am I a trained writer? No. Do I have a particularly big vocabulary? No. Do I have a social media following? No. Will I be “successful” (whatever that means in our world)? Not sure. I’m learning a new definition of success right now. Success is doing my best to go where I think the Lord is asking me to go. The outcome rests with Him.
Following the Wild Hare has meant taking action. It has me hopping from one task to another. I’ve had to get off the couch and start putting words together. I’ve had to do research. I’ve had to be self-disciplined. I’ve had to say “no” to my friends and to a lot of great opportunities. It has meant setting comfort aside. This romp has been anything but a straight line.
Outsiders think I’ve dropped off the face of the earth when really, I’ve just fallen down the rabbit hole. Like Alice, the journey has at times made me feel small - humbled and dependent on my Maker to walk me through this process. At other times I have felt awkwardly large - exploding with gratitude over how God has been in the details and (dare I claim) expectant of what He is going to do with this little project of mine. And yes, like Alice, I sometimes feel like I am in crazy land!
Now hear me, dear reader, and pretend I am looking you straight in the eye: I want you to follow the Wild Hare too. Whatever crazy idea you have rolling around in that head of yours, whatever whisper hangs around the edges of your heart, maybe it’s the Lord asking you to go with him somewhere. If so, do it!
“The grand narrative of your life is not to pursue comfort and then die.”
- IF Gathering, “Arise," Week Six, Day 2
“Every Adventure Requires a First Step.”
- The Cheshire Cat
How about you? Ever gone after a crazy idea or felt called to a task that
seemed impossibly big? I would love to know how it is going
or hear how it turned out.