I believe that in order for a person to live life as it was meant to be lived by the Creator, he or she must follow a focused call or embrace a burning passion. Life was never meant to be mundane, average or ordinary. God created us in His image for His extraordinary and uncommon purposes.

Deep within each one of our hearts, God has hidden a one-of-a-kind treasure that is of eternal magnificence and inestimable value. None of us is left out—we all have been given a rare gift by the Father. The treasure that was bequeathed in each of our hearts was placed there in order to become our passion.

So often, the temporary issues that distract us have been known to hide that treasure under layer upon layer of frustration, self-centeredness, comparison or disappointment.

Rather than continue to dig for that God-given treasure, we move on and pretend to be satisfied with earthly pleasures and by ingesting human panaceas.

I have always wanted to possess a singing voice that filled stadiums, sold thousands of CDs and was highly regarded as an unmatched talent.

But that is not the treasure that I was given.

Oh, I tried for years to convince myself with the right amount of training and with undeniable open doors that somehow and in some way, my voice could be developed. But I was digging for gold in the wrong field.

And then one ordinary day, I was reading my Bible and opened it to a passage of Scripture that I had probably read hundreds of times before. It was this short, New Testament verse that unearthed the treasure God had planted inside of me when I was still in my mother's womb.

This verse is found nestled in the story of Peter and John when they had been arrested for telling the story of Jesus. The authorities of the day threatened them and warned them not to speak any longer about the life or the name of Jesus.

The reply, found in the book of Acts, of Peter and John caused a beautiful uproar in the hardened soil of my heart.

"For we cannot stop speaking about what we have seen and heard" (Acts 4:20, NASB).

As my eyes lingered on these words and as my heart absorbed this previously ignored wealth of meaning, I realized, "That's it! That is the treasure that has been planted in me! I am called to speak ... to tell ... to communicate ... to write about the hope of Jesus!"

I am like Peter and John—I cannot stop speaking about what I have seen and heard in Christ Jesus my Lord.

Some people are called to sing; some people are called to stand up for truth and for justice; some are given the treasure of creating great works of art.

Some gifted folks are called to build bridges or buildings; others are given the capacity to lend their talents to politics, medicine or education.

Some people are given the sweet gift of hospitality, while others are called to foreign soil.

Me? My treasure, that was buried for so long, is the call to tell the story of Jesus with words. I cannot stop speaking, and I will not stop writing the truth and the power of Jesus.

My prayer for you today is that you will till the hardened soil in your heart until you discover your treasure, which was also meant to be your passion. It's there, my friend, the treasure is there, placed by God your Creator! Now—go find it!

Carol McLeod is an author and popular speaker at women's conferences and retreats, where she teaches the Word of God with great joy and enthusiasm. Carol encourages and empowers women with passionate and practical biblical messages mixed with her own special brand of hope and humor. She has written eight books, including The Rooms of a Woman's Heart, Defiant Joy!, Holy Estrogen!, No More Ordinary, Refined, Joy For All Seasons, Let There Be Joy! and Pass the Joy, Please! which releases on February 1, 2018.Her teaching DVD, The Rooms of a Woman's Heart, won the Telly Award, a prestigious industry award for excellence in religious programming. You can also listen to Carol's "Jolt of Joy" program daily on the Charisma Podcast Network. Connect with Carol or inquire about her speaking to your group at justjoyministries.com.

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