Impact

While I listen to Justice & Mercy from Flyleaf's new Remember to Live EP, I flip to the back of my Bible and find one of my favorite quotes penned by my former writing mentor, Shannon Kubiak Primicerio in her book God Called a Girl:

"Some of us may reach the masses with our lives; others may only influence a handful of people. But it's not the numbers that matter--it's the fact that we are impacting people for the kingdom of God. Never underestimate the value of impacting just one person. Their whole eternity could be altered as a result of your impact--that's a huge thing!"

So often all of us, as bloggers, as writers, get caught up in the numbers, in the stats and the appearances.

So often we lose sight of what we're really living for.

Whether it's in our writing, our blogs or our everyday lives, there are times when each of us has gotten caught up in what this world says is important and impacting.

I know often, for me, I make it too much about "being better" about seeming smarter, faster and more fashionable than everyone else...and the thing is, I never much succeed at that.

It's just a pointless venture, and empty reason to base life on.

So often we lose sight of what we're really living for.

Our world, our culture, is living and moving at a fast, "fashionable", and frivolous pace that is not only unattainable, but depressingly hard to even attempt to keep up with.

It tells us what things are "worthwhile" and how we should be living our lives as the social and cultural norm.

But this, is a lie.

Our culture says that how far we make it in life is directly proportional to how we look.
The beauty we see portrayed by run way models and in make-up ads is fake. Sure, the mirror doesn't lie, but our culture does.

The purpose for life we are told, by our culture, is to be wealthy, and make oneself into someone everyone else wants to be.
But in reality, money (though not always) corrupts, and while it can make life easier, it is definitely not something to base life on.
Not something to live for.

Our culture says that how famous, how worthwhile we are is defined not only by its idea of "beauty", and expansive "wealth", but also by how many people are our "friends", how popular we are and all those numbers and statistics.

But that too, is a lie.

never doubt the impact your life has; here in the bloggie world, and the great big one outside your window

You and I may never become household or front page names.

We may never be known as one of the richest people on the planet.

And we may never be as "beautiful" as that photoshopped woman in that magazine.

But when we make the decision to say a kind word, to be there for a friend through thick and thin, to spend some time with our family or by making a statement that we're not going to conform, we are impacting someone and we are a part of Gods plan.

So you and I, though we may not have 1000, or even 10 followers on our blogs, (I am thankful and amazed by my wonderful 9) never doubt the impact your life has; here in the bloggie world, and the great big one outside your window.