Making a Difference

Some days, life seems daunting.  How do I get past my depression?  How do I work through my marriage difficulties?  How do I get physically fit?  I have too many things to do!!

The truth is, life is not always about us.  Let me say this again...it's not about us!  Yes, we each have our own set of problems but the truth is, in spite of them, we can actually be part of the solution. 

You know, I never saw myself as writing a blog, let alone one that would actually achieve a following.  However, the more I wrote, the more I received positive feedback -- people were telling me that I was helping them through my writing; that I was encouraging them and suddenly, this blog became an instrument through which I could use my personal experiences to help others.   I was making a difference.  When I started, I had  maybe 150 people a month reading it.  Today, my readership has grown exponentially in what I would deem a supernatural way -- between 9,000 and 12,000 a month.  I don't give that glory to me but rather, to God.  This is, I believe, a ministry to which I was called.

I have a friend in Kuwait who began a Christian ministry in a Muslim country.  It began when she observed a street worker without a winter coat, as it was starting to get colder.  Before she knew it, she had over $20,000 in coats which a merchant gave to her to pass out; but she had no way to pay for them.  God was in the midst and answered her prayers.  Not only were the coats paid off but her ministry grew.  She now has Muslims and Christians working side-by-side to help those less fortunate in her adopted country.  That is God at work!

Two men whose paths crossed early in their careers.  Fast forward many years later.  One is struggling to survive and the other is retired.  The one who is struggling calls his mentor.  They talk.  They meet.  They decide to use their experiences to help others.  They go on to want to change the world with a word..."Oola".  The struggling man tells God he wants to use that word to help others.  A prayer.  A ministry of sorts.  They are now doing that by the grace of God.  They are helping people achieve their dreams -- whether it is getting out of debt, losing weight, becoming stronger in their faith, getting passion back in their jobs or developing stronger relationships with friends and family.  Oola is now a buzzword.  They are spreading the message around the world!

A musician who sees a Mercy Ship dock in New Zealand.  He asks God, "What can I do? I'm just a musician?"  Twenty or more years later, he is a music ambassador for Mercy Ships and recording an album to raise money for them.  That is powerful!  THAT is God at work!

So what is the common thread that binds us all together?  We believe in God's mighty power to do anything, we care about others and we want the world to be a better place.  We don't know the circumstances of how things will happen, as it's all about God's plan, purpose, and timing.  However, we do rely on Him as our guiding force.

So, have you considered that you could make a difference?  Look around you.  Do you see something that you would like to see changed?  Perhaps, that is the Holy Spirit saying, "That needs to be fixed and you're just the one to do it!"  Not one in a hundred, but one!  YOU!

You see, we all have the power to make a difference in this world.  God has gifted us with certain talents that make us quite capable of making our world a better place.  If you think you don't have that, think again.  It can be as small as a teacher offering words of reassurance to a child who has been told they are stupid.  It can be helping an elderly person load their groceries in a car.  It can be giving a homeless person a PBJ sandwich and a bottle of water on a 100 degree day.  Now take those ideas one step further.  Tutor a child who can't read for free.  Put together a group who can go to the homes of the elderly to mow their grass or run small errands for them.  Keep bags full of food that won't spoil and water to pass out on those 100 degree days. 

Our minds are trained to think "in the box."  I am challenging you today to think "outside the box,"  and to be radical in your thinking.  What can you do?  What do you possess that makes you unique?  How can you make someone's day brighter?  Be an encouragement to others.  Can you make a difference?  Absolutely!  It doesn't take an army -- it takes a willingness, a little bit of an imagination and allowing God to work in your heart.