IMPACTING OTHERS

Do you ever think that your life doesn’t really have an impact on others?

Do you ever think that your life is not that important?

Do you ever think that since you are just a simple, ordinary person your life does not leave an imprint on others?

 

Hopefully your response to all of the above questions is a strong NO, but, if you are like me at all, maybe you sometimes get stuck in the trap of thinking YES to one or all of the questions.

No man is an island

Friends come and go like the waves of the ocean, but TRUE ONES stick like an octopus on your face!

If you don’t impact people, then this whole thing is a waste.  –Chris Rosati

I recently ran across these three sayings that made me ponder their meaning as well as thinking about relationships in our lives…

The impact each of our lives has on those we share this journey of life with.

 

I recently heard a song by that name by Tenth Avenue North. Take a few moments to listen to the song here as it is rich in meaning and I think points to how we should be interacting with others.

Personally, I have always struggled with that saying.  I do believe that we are truly suppose to be there for others to listen, empathize, share compassion and God’s love with the people we know.

The struggle comes from the fact that I think often we do not let others know what we are really thinking or feeling. We either put up a front or walls that prevent us from sharing our true selves.

Have you ever felt like….

…you were trying to open up to someone but they were not really listening with their ears let alone their heart?

…someone didn’t respond when you needed them most?

…a friend was too wrapped up in their own issues to help?

…you were jealous of a friend thinking they had it all together so you put up a wall?

…you only get hurt if you really try to share?

…that people really don’t care?

 

As I was researching more about the meaning of the song, the band shared a few good truths:

–Just as God is a truine God–Father, Son, & Spirit, a community…We are created in God’s image for community.  We have brothers and sisters in faith all over the world.

–Often we push people away, not wanting them to really know us too well, or being a part of our lives, but we need to be there for others, and to let them know we are really FOR them, not against them.

 

 

Photo courtesy of Winfried under Creative Commons License (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0); words added by hopetoinspireyou.com

 

Okay…I have a confession about this saying.  Yes, I struggle with this thought too!

God made us all different so we do not all think alike.

Warning:  I think I am more like an octopus with the friends in my life!  By that I mean I might not know or interact with a ton of people, but the ones I do, I consider friends that I do NOT want to see leave like the waves of the ocean. Once a friend, always a friend. So, there you have my thought!

 

 

Photo courtesy of Christopher A. Dominic under Creative Commons License (CC BY 2.0); words added by hopetoinspireyou.com

 

Guess what? This thought I totally agree with 100% and it shows the importance of our lives….

Yes, everything we do impacts the people around us!

I liked this definition of “impact” best from a google search:

impact–have a strong effect on someone or something.

As I was in the process of penning these thoughts, I ran across this CBS video of a gentleman, Chris Rosati, with ALS that was trying to impact the world by making it a better place. Unfortunately, he lost his battle with ALS this past week, but the example and memories he left as a legacy will live on!

 

Photo courtesy of Iqbal Osman under Creative Commons License (CC BY 2.0)

 

Who comes to your mind if I asked you “Who has had the greatest impact on your life?”

Would you be able to say who you believe your life has had the greatest impact on?

As I ponder who has had the greatest impact on my life, I would have to equate it to thinking about my faith journey and three individuals that God used powerfully in my life to help me to grow closer in my relationship to Him at different stages in my life.  What wonderful blessings to reflect on for which I am so thankful!

I am not quite sure whose life my life has had the greatest impact on.  Maybe we won’t know until we get to heaven for sure.  🙂

 

Photo courtesy of Norm Hanson under Creative Commons License (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0); words added by hopetoinspireyou.com

 

 

I firmly believe that each of our lives is so important and vital to others. 

We are each a link and stepping stone in others lives; you could even say a “puzzle piece.”

Your life has an impact on those around you!

You are a vital puzzle piece in others lives!

You are a stepping stone to help others reach their potential!

 

May I encourage you this week to reach out to someone who has impacted your life and let them know you appreciate them. It is important to let people know they are valued and how they have touched your life for the better.  For, as my son just shared a quote that a friend of his that was just in a car accident said,  “You never know when it is your last breath.”

 

So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing.  –1 Thessalonians 5:11 (NIV)

He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.  –Ephesians 4:16  (NLT)