Day 62...Influence

Dear Sadie,

I’ve had a lot of thoughts lately on impact.  That is, on the idea of personal impact that we can have.  Influence.  Purpose.  Are we here just to dwell?  Live in the land?  Then what?  Personally, I have no doubt that we are here for a purpose.  Scripture lays that out for you pretty well.  There’s a broad sense of purpose, but too, there is a specific kind of personal, focused impact that individuals are to have on their circle of influence.  I think sometimes we get caught up comparing ourselves to the “greats” that we miss out on opportunities for impacting others with the love of Christ (something all believers are called to).  If I look at the big successes of our day, or even days past, I could say, “I’m never going to be that influential,” and then wonder what I’m supposed to be doing, because I will never get there.  I realize this rambling is very vague.  But what I am trying to say is this.  The love of Christ is powerful.  And if you focus more on the quality of love, rather than the quantity of love you are able to spread, you will have made a huge impact on this world.  Having our gaze fixed on others can sometimes suck the life out of our own lives, what we are supposed to be doing.  Who we are to be.  Whom we are to live for.  We are to be salt and light…love your neighbor…give freely…spread the gospel…lay down our lives…walk in the light as He is in the light.  All of these you will soon discover in your own time.  But what I want you to grasp is that if your lens is focused on the amount of people you can influence with your life, your art, your love, you may never take the first step.  Always intimacy with Christ comes first, for without Him there is no flow.  Then out of Him, shower those you are intimately connected to; do not skip those for a larger number of recipients, nor give them the scraps.  Invite them to dine at the table of your heart.  I think you’ll get what I mean as you go along.  If you only love one person deeply and greatly and with your whole heart, as opposed to a million just grazing the surface with them, I think the one is better.  Jesus looks after the one.  And if we ALL take care of the flock God gives us, a LOT of people will be coming into the Kingdom with this sweeping love anyways, won’t they?

Love,

Mommy

“And when he finds it he joyfully puts it on his shoulders.” Luke 15:5