Your Blue Flame . . . Makes You Come Alive (Zondervan, 2020)
Your Blue Flame: Drop the Guilt and Do What Makes You Come Alive is the third book by Jennifer Fulwiler. Jennifer’s blue flames include standup comic and host of a daily talk show on SiriusXM. In addition, Jennifer and her husband Joe parent six children — and a one-eyed cat. Describing her personal life, Jennifer states that she battled through guilt, fear, and the expectations of others and came out on the other side with a life she loves. And that transformation began with the discovery of her blue flame. Furthermore, the author defines blue flame in spiritual terms: something you do, and were destined to do, that fills you with energy and adds love to the world. For as an adult, she converted from atheism to Christianity.
However, a negative spirit serves as a defensive shield. Consequently, taking down that shield opens you to hope – and therefore disappointment. So, Jennifer exhorts, hold a silly, childlike hope that your life can change. And to tap into your blue flame fully, you must allow God to lead you down paths that feel right. Even if those paths fail to make sense from your point of view. Basing your decision solely on your own reasoning causes you to miss opportunities to impact the world in unimaginable ways. In addition, Jennifer encourages you to not only accept, but seek, rejection. Because you’ll feel a sense of accomplishment when you forego easy wins for character growth. And you’ll likely stumble on more success that way.
Yet, Jennifer cautions, you need to keep your eyes open for the three telltale signs of Resistance: discouragement, divisiveness, and devaluing. In other words, Resistance denotes an all-encompassing term that describes everything holding us back. Thus, a powerful way to inoculate yourself against Resistance is to depersonalize your work. To see your blue flame instead as a God-given gift. Rather than smothering your blue flame in shame and hiding your insecurities there, find something positive in each of your flaws. Remind yourself that it’s okay to take up space. Because that results in relief for you as well as a gift for others. You come alive and thrive as you fully ignite your blue flame.
Finally, the author underscores, take yourself and your blue flame seriously. Seek impact rather than adoration. Also, the more fully and fearlessly you connect with your blue flame, the more powerful it grows. And when you spark your passion, embrace the label attached to it. But don’t make that label your identity. As God’s child, you possess inherent value independent of any blue flame. While you never know where that flame will take you, you know others receive blessing from it. Jennifer inspires us to press on and come alive:
“And in the end, you’ll see that the impact your blue flame has on others is even greater than the impact it has on you. . . . The next time I’m in a dark place and a light comes into my life through someone else’s blue flame, I want it to be yours.”
