Elation

One word could describe the air that hovered about the streets of Madrid at midnight on Sunday: Elation. Absolute, unhindered elation.

Words spewed forth (which I hadn’t a prayer to understand), cheering surrounded us, dancing ensued. When I woke up again at 6:30 Monday morning, horns were still honking, flags waving, cries of joy let loose.

The entire country of Spain had watched, waited, cheered, prayed, hoped... for weeks, months, years, and some would say decades... all for this moment. Their country had achieved ultimate success in one of the world’s most beloved sports championships. If only this night could last forever!

But it can’t.

It won’t.

It doesn’t.

By Tuesday, Madrid was back to life like normal. Some extra Spanish flags still hung from balconies and souvenir shops were filled with championship t-shirts and banners, but life was again everyday. People went to work. The Metro went on strike. Cooks cooked, musicians played, the homeless begged.

What drives you? What’s one of your ultimate goals? What happens the day after you reach that goal?

This week I thought about this question at the prompting of a friend and I came to realize that my life passion -- my goal, the place from which my elation comes -- is to worship God the creator, his Son Jesus my savior, and the life-changing Holy Spirit, and to do it with as much of the world as possible.

Today, if I see 200 French people come to Christ and I get to worship God with them, I will revel in the elation of that moment. And then tomorrow I’ll go try to find some more people. There will be no let-down, no “now what?” Just the drive to know and worship the Father with more and new brothers and sisters everyday. That's elation. Continued.