What Can You Do?

What’s the one thing you can do today to make a difference in the lives of the people around you? Think about that for a moment. If you don’t come up with anything let me challenge you to try harder.

There are people in your life no one can help like you can. You help them. It could be a simple thing like a kind greeting in passing. If that’s what you got go for it, but I’m betting you can dig a little deeper. So go on, swing for the fence on this one.

Photo by Lizette at  http://capturettephotos.com/

Make a batch of cookies and pass them out to your neighborhood. Read an extra bed time story to your kids. Cook dinner AND do the dishes—or if you always do the cooking and cleaning make someone else in the house so it.

If you’re a follower of Jesus like I am, you’ve got a light inside you this world needs. Do something with it. Don’t be content to hide it away or hold it back. Let it out into your everyday world.

Don’t overcomplicate it, and for goodness sake, please don’t make it weird. Just make it joy. Joy is life and joy is strength. Our world could use more joy. Be the ambassador of joy in your neighborhood, your marketplace, and your living room. Give it away like cake at a birthday party.

Everyday Difference

 “Make a life-giving difference in your everyday world.” That was the answer to the question I had never even realized I needed to ask: What do you want to do with your life?

As a man of faith, and family it can be really easy to pour my everything into those two things. But the simple and honest reality is I am more than a man of faith; and I more than a husband, Dad, son, brother, etc.. The two inform a major piece of me, maybe even the majority of me, but I am more—and so are you.

I mess this up a lot. There are entire days that meander by with my having made almost no difference for anyone whatsoever. Especially if I get caught in the self-reflective trap that’s so easy to slog my way into on occasion. 

However, what I really want is to leave everyday a little better because I showed up. I want every room to be a little brighter because I brought love there with me. I want everyone to know they are important.

I get it wrong a lot. I’m still learning a lot about this.  But I know my life is aimed at something bigger than I’m able to do on my own. I know I want to learn a little more, love a little more, and live a little more.

I want to do all of it in the company of the people who mean the most to me—and I want to invite as many as possible into this same adventure. High-fives, handshakes, and attaboys are the tip of the ice-berg. Let’s aim at the everyday difference we can leave in our wake when we love everyone the right way.

Let’s lay down our conditions. Let’s set aside stereotypes, hasty generalizations, and the mind numbing polarization that frankly most of us grew tired of months ago. Let’s offer a kind word, a neighborly gesture, and strong hand to those who need us.

Let’s get where we’re going in the glad company of everyone around us. Let’s do it together. Let’s make an everyday difference. What are we waiting for?