I’ve been reading this new book called Outlive Your Life: You Were Made to Make A Difference
Life is about becoming the best WE can be, and hopefully lifting others in the process. There was a part in this book that really stood out to me.
“If you are in Christ, God’s Spirit will speak through you.
Let God unshell you. And when he does, “make a careful exploration of who you are and the work you have been given, and then sink yourself into that”(Gal. 6:4). Don’t miss the opportunity to discover your language.
With whom do you feel most fluent? Teenagers? Drug addicts? The elderly? You may be tongue-tied around children but eloquent with executives. This is how God designed you. “God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well” (Rom. 12:6).
For whom do you feel most compassion?”
This part spoke to me in such a way, I immediately felt inspired to DO something about it. An idea just came out of nowhere, but it was loud and clear. I thought to myself, I need to share my story more with teenage girls, including my own daughters as they enter into those emotionally challenging years.
I’ve never thought to do this before, but I feel like this is something I should do more of. So many thoughts and idea’s I could expand on, and boy do I have some stories to share. It would be all about self worth of course, because those were the years I felt I had none. I always think, if only I could go back as the person I am now. It would have been a much better experience. I would have studied more, worried less about boys, and focused on reaching out to those who were in need of a friend.
I’ll never forget this boy in one of my classes. He kept to himself most of the time. Nobody ever even noticed him, including myself. He actually sat right in front of me and I never said a single word to him.
Later that year he committed suicide.
I can’t help but think, WHAT IF…
What if I had reached out to him. What if I took interest in him, talked to him, cared about him.
Could I have made a difference?
I love how the author in this book talks about figuring out what our language is. That’s what it’s all about. We need to be actively using those gifts God has given us. They are meant to be used to MAKE A DIFFERENCE, in our lives and the lives of others.
Here’s one of my favorite stories, and one I frequently read while I was on my mission.
There was a young man walking down a deserted beach just before dawn in the distance he saw a frail old man. As he approached the old man, he saw him picking up stranded starfish and throwing them back into the sea. The young man gazed in wonder as the old man again and again threw the small starfish from the sand to the water. He asked “Old man, why do you spend so much energy doing what seems to be a waste of time?” The old man explained that the stranded starfish would die if left in the morning sun. But there must be thousands of beaches and millions of starfish! “How can you make a difference?” The old man looked down at the small starfish in his hand and as he threw it to the safety of the sea, he said “I MAKE A DIFFERENCE TO THIS ONE.” – unknown
What is your language? And what can YOU do to make a difference?
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