The Impact You Have

Hey y'all!

LOL, okay, so I know it's been a while. In fact, I was supposed to post something maybe two weeks ago, but I honestly don't know what happened. I know that I've had PLENTY of adventures since then: Walmart and Sonic runs, watching so many movies, sleepovers, pool trips, the list goes on!

I am so thankful because it's been a full summer so far. Yes, eight hours of every summer day is filled with work, but that doesn't stop me from enjoying myself!

So, I had a thought a couple of weeks back that I wanted to share with you, and obviously, I never did. So without further a-do, here it is!:

Thoughts from May 22, 2014...

I was at work today, still deep-cleaning the dorm rooms for campers coming in next Wednesday. Cleaning is pretty mindless work, so I have plenty of time to either

a.) sing/hum
b.) think 
c.) not think
d.) daydream
e.) get in a conversation with the person/people closest to me

Sometimes, on a really slow day,  I do a combination of all of these things to keep myself entertained and to make the time go faster.

Today, I was thinking about where I was in my life within all aspects: my spiritual walk, my status as a student, my personality, my opinions/views, etc. And I realized how much all of these things have changed within the past few years. Then I began to wonder: what was the cause of all of these things changing?

There are plenty of answers to this question, and one of the ones I came up with today was this: the impact of other people strongly affected me, shaping me into the person I am today. Of course, the Lord knew that those people and the situations regarding them were going to occur in my life, causing all these changes within me. 

Some of it was good: I began seeing the world in a completely different light that was even more beautiful and inspiring than I had known. I connected with people, our relationships growing stronger as we experienced life together. I got to see what other people were interested in and passionate about, and that allowed me to look within myself and see what I was interested in and passionate about.

But some of it was bad: I felt pain I never thought I would feel and saw the things and people I knew and loved change in the blink of any eye. I saw how quickly coldness could replace care, not only in those I as surrounded with, but also within myself. I experienced what felt like massive separation from God, my friends, my family, and myself.

And when I think about both the good and the bad times, I remember the scenarios...but those scenarios involved people. I'm not trying to point fingers at people here, for I know that at some point in my life, I have impacted other people in good and bad ways alike.

I just wanted to bring to everyone's attention how HUGE of an impact we each have on those around us: our family members, our friends, our classmates, our neighbors, etc. At some point, someone said something to you, whether it was good or bad, and it affected the way you saw the world. Whether what was said was about you, a friend, a worldview, a country, a famous person, etc., you began to think about what was said, and it changes the way you think.

From experience, I realize how many people have impacted my life in major ways. I thought about how what was said or done changed how I thought, not just about me and my life, but about the person who said or did whatever. I'll be honest, it pains me sometimes to think about the things that caused a lot of brokenness in my life.

And today, I realized how important it was for me to examine my own life, day-by-day. Before I say or do something, I should ask myself, "How will this person take this? Will it change the way they think about themselves or others in a bad way? Instead of saying/doing this, how can I display the love of Christ to this person?"

You never know how much you've affected someone by what you've said or done. There have been countless times when I've had a bad day, but I will be so encouraged by a friend giving me a compliment or by receiving a note of encouragement in my mailbox, and those people had no clue that I was having a rough day. I've also had times when I've had a good day, and the things people said or did to me actually brought me down from my good mood.

So, all this to say: realize that what you say and do matters. You not only reflect who you are, but you also affect the people around you and could possibly change the way they view many things, such as themselves.



Well, that was what I had to say! I don't think I was going to end that thought like that, but it's been so long that I honestly can't remember where I was going with that thought. So sorry! I'm only human!

I hope you all had a great start to a new week! You've made it past Monday already! I know you can conquer this week with the Lord's help! (^^) Remember that what you do and say matters!