My Passion, part 2; week 3

Continuing on with pondering the Shape of My Faith, I checked out "Week 3". It entails outlining your Passion; where your heart lies. I've talked about it a little before I started the Shape of My Faith series when I ran across it on another blogger's page. That is here:
http://douglassmom.blogspot.com/2006/10/passions-priorities-and-gettin-right.html

But as I read the explanation for week 3, it occurred to me that there is more there that I want to explore.
"What is the spiritual issue, theological discussion, work, prayer focus, Scriptural concept that you think more people should be concerned about. What’s the biblical principal that makes you most angry or frustrated when others go against it? What is the concern within the church that grabs you by the heart every time it is mentioned?

Let's start with Scriptural concept and Biblical principals. My biggest frustration in organized religion today (well, and ALL through time, actually!) is the challenge of "Not Seeing the Trees for the Forest."
In other words, ignoring the individual for the good of the church/denomination.
I grew up in a beloved church family; wouldn't trade them for all the silver or gold in the world. But when it came time for communion and the plate was snatched away because "You aren't a member here", it just got my dander up. Or when the ordinances prohibiting alcohol consumption are so strict that members were made to feel GUILTY if they used MOUTHWASH that contained alcohol.
Christ specifically tells us in the letters to the Corinthians that we should not cause others to "stumble". I know of several people (including me) who RAN (not walked) away from God because of the straight-laced, hard-nosed, rigid, you-gotta-be-perfect Idea of How God Works. Praise Him that He drew me back to Himself little by little and showed me how His LOVE and FORGIVENESS works.
Don't get me wrong, here. If you are breaking God's law, you are breaking God's law. But I believe it can be spoken with love NOT judgement. And I believe that taking Jesus Christ as the Savior of your heart is MUCH more important than who can participate in communion, whether or not women can wear pants, if dancing is immoral and whether or not Our Father permits the consumption of alcohol.
Hmmm, can you tell I get my panties in a wad over that? JUST a tad!

By the way, feel free to disagree with me. Alot of people do...and I'll be your friend anyway.

"So what’s your passion? What group do you care about so much it hurts? What cause makes your heart beat faster?"

Another thing I could stand up on a soap box about is abandoned/abused babies and children. NOTHING breaks my heart harder and deeper than hearing of a newborn left in a box at a construction site or left laying on the beach in the freezing cold to die. Our state has a WONDERFUL law that allows "mothers" (and I use the term VERY loosely) to leave their babies at a hospital, fire department or police department without fear of criminal prosecution.
But you know what? NOBODY KNOWS ABOUT IT. There is no publicity because there is no funding. I even tracked down the state lawmaker who helped get the bill passed offering to help in any way I could; transportation, diapers, formula. But all they wanted was money. And, unfortunately, that is the ONE thing I don't have.
I think they should have fliers printed and distributed at all the local high schools and doctors' offices. I think someone should donate billboard space up and down our state highways to trumpet this news to the community.
But you know what? It ain't gonna happen. And you know why? Because our foster care system is already overloaded and they frankly don't want the added influx of infants this would cause. Not that they want the babies to die....they just want to go on pretending they don't exist.
This passion for babies has led me to be a foster parent for two years...when I had a co-parent (read another means of financial support). It also fuels my desire to become a midwife. Maybe some of those (quote-unquote) mothers would be more willing to ask me for help when I am not as attached to the "establishment". If I could just save one little one from being left out in the elements to die or keep one teeny life from ending in a dumpster...

Please, Heavenly Father, HERE I AM, SEND ME!

And I wanted to finish up on this subject by quoting a paragraph from the "Shape of Faith" website that really hit me right between "the lookers"...
"Sometimes a passion is related to spiritual gifts, sometimes to experience, sometimes to personality, but always it is God given. Sometimes we get too caught up in it and have to hand it back over to the Lord, He will hand it back at the right time, when you are most prepared to act on it. Sometimes He takes it away (if we use it wrong) and gives us something else in return."

Oooooo WoooW!