Two days ago my youth minister from years ago - the man that stood before God and performed the marriage between my husband and myself - and a man I now would call a friend, but still hold in a place of adolescent "awe" - wrote an entry about M'Fuge. This is a camp for young people to come together, worship, be encouraged, strengthened, and serve others. He challenged and encouraged those that read his blog to pray for the impact this camp will not only have on these adolescents, but on their own families, friends, and communities when they return home.
So, having experienced camps similar in the past, I did just that. I prayed. It also got me thinking even further. God has given me a running theme over the past few years about how he uses those around me to feed into me - sometimes they feed me good food - sometimes it is rotten. Depending on my place in life - through age, maturity, education, support system, and spiritual growth usually depends on which food I receive the most of at the time - so which part of my "man" is fed more - my 'spirit' man - or my 'flesh'?
I have been shown in the most recent of years very practical ways of "paying it forward" and when I was asked to speak at a friend's 50th birthday a few years ago, on behalf of my son, I focused on how this friend and his wife had taught me this concept more than anyone else in life so far - and I began to apply it.
A few years later my church began encouraging "acts of kindness" at Christmas. We are encouraged to do something anonymously for people behind us in line or in a restaurant, etc - and never give our name - just leave the card - the card said something like, "God loves you" and then gave service times at our church. I love doing that - and as a family we started doing it even without the cards - it has been so fun!
So, I began to think of how it really does only take one person - like the book Andy Andrews wrote, "The Noticer" - to make a massive difference in the life of another - and you may never fully grasp the impact you have - EVER - until heaven. But, God knows - and He only asks for our obedience to what he asks of us. Does he ask us to pray? Open a door? Give money or time? Does he ask us to really go beyond our comfort zone and give our furniture or car? What about our best dishes or our best shoes? What about our smile? What if it really is to cash out our retirement? We are only asked to be obedient.
We are not responsible for what God does with any of our gifts, talents, or possessions - they are really his anyway - and even if we choose not to bless someone - he will still meet that person's need, we just could have had the awesome blessing of having been a part of it.
I am a living example that not only does prayer work, but youth camps help create needed foundations - and youth workers build on that. God already knows what his plan is - He also knows how he would like for it to be accomplished. But, even if our free will interferes with that, His Will will prevail - but WOW! don't you want to be a part of that awesome Butterfly Effect?
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