My Daughter’s Perspective

 

Have you ever thought about how everything you do and everything you say influences someone’s life? Whether big or small, everything you do impacts the flow of this world. The dropping of a pebble in water sends out ripples of change to the surface. One seed can fill a garden (lamb’s ears just take over wherever they please – but they are oh so soft!). A simple smile can cause a 360 shift in someone’s day. Every action. Every word. You are an influencer. And you get to decide the height, length, width, and depth of that influence.

This is something I’ve been reflecting on for the last little while.

When you consider some celebrities, there are some who use their fame to bring awareness to amazing causes, and push people to create a change in the world. There are others who float in a pool of money and bathe in the light of flashing cameras. The former have fully leaned in and embraced their role in influencing, and the latter are just too self-centered to notice anything else going on in the world. (That may be harsh, but from my perspective it’s the truth). This doesn’t just apply to celebrities. Brad Pitt doesn’t live in our neighbourhoods; Sandra Bullock doesn’t work in our workplaces; Ryan Gosling doesn’t attend our schools; and Keira Knightley doesn’t go to our churches. You and I are the ones living in our neighbourhoods, working in our workplaces, attending our schools, and going to our churches. We all have a role to play right where we are.

I have a confession for you. I don’t always think pretty thoughts about people. Let me get vulnerable and give you an example. I’m a leader in the youth ministry in our church, and by no means do I think I’m a perfect leader – I would argue that I have the best small group, but that’s beside the point! One of my biggest pet peeves is when a youth leader doesn’t give their all to their small group, even if it’s just for the two hour commitment in the week (though if you ask me this isn’t really enough). Maybe this causes my muscles to tense because I didn’t have committed leaders when I was in youth and I eventually left when I was in grade ten. If I grew up in a different family or had different friends surrounding me, I fear where I would be now. I hear too many stories of youth leaving the church, and in my mind the solution is so simple – they need to be known, and only other people can make that happen. So if any youth leaders are reading this, please understand that you can make or break a youth’s faith journey.

I’m greatly impacted by personal testimonies, particularly the ones where it took one person to change the course of that person’s life. Those stories are what I hold onto when I start to lose hope for specific people – no one is too far gone for God, and He will often use us to show His love. You may often not know the impact you have had on someone’s life, but you must believe that you can be the stone in someone’s life that can change the trajectory of their life flow. Don’t miss out on that opportunity. After all, this is what God calls us to do, and the example Jesus set for us.

So remember (and this is a reminder for me also) you have influence in everything you do. Live intentionally, and be prepared to step beyond yourself for the greater Kingdom.