Be The Difference

Can you make a difference in someone's life?

"I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel."
-Maya Angelou

I find this statement to be quite true, at least for me. Now, I think about this in two different ways. I think about it from my perspective, how people have made me feel and from the perspective of others, how I make them feel.

If I'm being honest, this semester of college has been a roller coaster ride. I've faced a LOT of hardships, but I've also had a lot of good times as well. It's funny. In those difficult times, I often find myself reaching out to others, just asking them how they're doing, or seeing if there is any way I can pray for them. It allows me to momentarily forget what I'm going through and focus on what's going on in the lives of others around me. Just because I'm feeling down, doesn't mean I should stop loving and serving others. So regardless of how I feel, I try to put on a smile and place the needs of others above my own.

Throughout my life I've only had one person call me, one time, to check up on me and see how I was doing. I wasn't doing the greatest, but just talking to him and knowing that he cared, made me feel better. Here's the best part: he prayed for me over the phone! I don't remember what all we talked about, or what exactly was going on, but I still remember the way it made me feel. I was overjoyed to know that someone cared about me. I cried and cried afterwards. Not tears of sorrow, tears of joy and thankfulness.

I like to text people every now and then to see how they're doing. (I did this before that phone call, but it means even more now that I know what it feels like to be on the receiving end) I want people to know that I genuinely care about them and the things that they're going through. I'm not good with words, so my messages can be kind of lengthy sometimes. I'm also not good at interacting with people. I tend to be awkward and can never quite get out what I want to say. But the point is, no matter how it comes out, I hope they feel loved.

It only takes a few minutes to show somebody you care. All around you there are people who are hurting, people who need your love, people who need your encouragement. Let God use your gifts and talents to bless them.

Love as Christ loves you. Don't ever think you can't make a difference. YOU CAN!

God has been working on me a lot lately. He's shown me things in my life that I need to change. But most importantly, through prayer and studying His Word, He has shown me what love really means. Here is a piece of scripture that expresses the importance of loving and caring for one another:

"So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity." Colossians 3:12-15