GREATNESS

There are all kinds of things we can aspire for in life, and I've probably aspired for a lot of them through the years. But as I get older, the thing I aspire for the most is just to make a difference.

I wonder if anyone really sees when they make a difference in someone's life. I know there have been occasions when a friend lets me know that something I said or did made a difference to them, but I never would have suspected it had they not told me.

Certainly, there is nothing that lights me up inside more. I think it's the only way a person can truly feel fulfilled. You can get all the things you've aspired for through the years and still feel empty. But when you hear that your life, your words, your actions have made someone's life better . . . it brings the kind of joy to your heart that inspires you to do more.

I've heard the question come up many times in church life . . . "How do you make people feel connected? How do you help them get solid footing in the church?" My answer to that would be, help them find a way to make a difference. It's as simple as that. If someone really knows that their life is making a difference, it creates this sort of adrenalin rush that spurs them on to greatness! Not celebrity-type greatness, but the kind of greatness that comes from knowing you're being what God intended for you to be! It doesn't get any better than that.

It shouldn't be hard to help people find ways to make a difference. God has given different personalities and talents to each of us, and there is always going to be a way to put them to good use. It just may take the eyes to see it. I've found that it can be the smallest of things that make a difference. An encouraging word, a well-timed hug, a brand new toilet when you get back from vacation . . . I've had all of these things happen to me. And each time, I was deeply touched.

The tricky part is on the rest of us. We need to be people who freely let others know that they have made a difference in our lives. If we know it, they should know it. They are being who God meant for them to be, and we benefit from it. For whatever reason, people just don't see when they make a difference as easily as they see when others do. (I suppose that's a good thing. It might border on egotistical if you were totally aware of all the good you do.)

So today let's do something amazing in the church. Let's commit to letting people know when they touch our lives. Let's tell them when they've made a difference.

You'll be spurring them on to greatness!