The train driver was passionately aflame about driving trains, so somebody in our group asked him what inspired him. A far-away look came over his face and he told us why. This is what he said:

"As a small boy growing up, all things mechanical were interesting and exciting. In a little boy's world, the steam engine was the ultimate. It had side rods that moved back and forth, giant driving wheels that could haul a passenger locomotive in excess of seventy miles an hour, and large steam cylinders that could produce nearly two thousand horse power for heavy freight hauls across the Dividing Range. It had lubricators, steam injectors, air compressors and all sorts of levers and gadgets. Just enough to fill a small boy's mind."Friday afternoons would find my grandfather and me down at the locomotive depot. Grandfather was a farmer. In his early years, he used steam traction engines to work the land and the love of steam was always with him."The highlight of our visit was to watch the Riverina Express, pulled by a thirty-eight class steam engine. We would watch in silence, both wishing we could be aboard the footplate."Our concentration would be broken by the friendly waves from the crew aboard the thirty-eight class. We would think about the wonder and adventures of a train driver as the Riverina Express disappeared down the track."Even then, I knew I must follow both our dreams, his and mine."

As we listened to the train driver, we could all see how the dream set before him that fanned his inspiration. A fortunate few know exactly what fans their inspiration. Paul was inspired because God set him apart from birth so that he might preach Christ (Galatians 1:15) and love compelled him to share the message of Christ. (2 Corinthians 5:14-21 CEV) John the Baptist was inspired because he was "great in the sight of the Lord" with a purposed destiny even before he was born. (Luke 1:15)

This is the fire that fuels our inspiration!
Jesus was "chosen before the creation of the world" (Revelation 13:8), spent time in the presence of God to restore his passion (Luke 5:16), and his inspiration was the joy that would follow his costly sacrifice. (Hebrews 12:2)

Paul noted that Timothy's inspiration came through his mother and grandmother. "From infancy you have known the holy Scriptures which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus." (2 Timothy 3:15)

But, he puts his finger on the pulse of Timothy's inspiration when he commanded him to "fan it into flame" the gift he had been given by God. (1 Timothy 1:5-6) Being gifted and called by God are the basis of all spiritual inspiration in our lives. However, it is our passion and determination to fan into flame that gift that is the fire that fuels our inspiration and shares Jesus' light with the world.