I was walking away from a situation that had exasperated me so much that I didn't even really care about the tone and body language I had used in response. So tired of the situation that felt like it was on repeat in my life, I (somewhat intentionally, even) moved further down a road that is not meant to be traveled - one that hurts others and builds walls between relationships.
And I realized that I was changing the world.
We talk about changing the world often - of doing things that make the world a better place, of the big and little things that ripple out from our actions and leave their marks. But honestly, every day, every choice is changing the world, for better or for worse.
If one adult continuously speaking love into a hurting child's heart can ripple into a lifetime of meaning and self-acceptance for that child, then certainly an adult lacing frustration into a hurting child's heart can ripple into a lifetime of hurt and self-rejection.
If one person taking the time to say, "How are you?" can be the thing that gives a person enough hope to make it to the next day, then certainly one person ignoring him can further his hopeless spiral.
If one person sponsoring a poor child can be the difference-maker in that child's entire future, then certainly one person deciding to ignore that heart-tug can be another inch lost in opening a door for an opportunity to break poverty's cycle.
If waking up and saying "Lord, show me what you have for me today, no matter what it costs me" will bring a closeness to the Father and a day bright with Jesus-invitations, then certainly waking up angry about what lies ahead and deciding to push through in one's own strength will bring emotional clouds and exhaustion.
We are changing the world every day, saying and doing and thinking things that ripple out from us, going near and far. There is no passivity in it, no gray area - it's happening even when we aren't thinking about it. So let's get intentional. We are changing the world.
And I realized that I was changing the world.
We talk about changing the world often - of doing things that make the world a better place, of the big and little things that ripple out from our actions and leave their marks. But honestly, every day, every choice is changing the world, for better or for worse.
If one adult continuously speaking love into a hurting child's heart can ripple into a lifetime of meaning and self-acceptance for that child, then certainly an adult lacing frustration into a hurting child's heart can ripple into a lifetime of hurt and self-rejection.
If one person taking the time to say, "How are you?" can be the thing that gives a person enough hope to make it to the next day, then certainly one person ignoring him can further his hopeless spiral.
If one person sponsoring a poor child can be the difference-maker in that child's entire future, then certainly one person deciding to ignore that heart-tug can be another inch lost in opening a door for an opportunity to break poverty's cycle.
If waking up and saying "Lord, show me what you have for me today, no matter what it costs me" will bring a closeness to the Father and a day bright with Jesus-invitations, then certainly waking up angry about what lies ahead and deciding to push through in one's own strength will bring emotional clouds and exhaustion.
We are changing the world every day, saying and doing and thinking things that ripple out from us, going near and far. There is no passivity in it, no gray area - it's happening even when we aren't thinking about it. So let's get intentional. We are changing the world.
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