What You Do Matters

Several years ago, I co-led a Bible study for a group of young women.  These amazing girls invited me into their worlds and allowed me to help them navigate through challenges they were facing in their lives.

Some of them faced giants.

Others struggled in dealing with their pasts.

We often times celebrated God provision and goodness.

There were joy-filled times of breakthrough.

What a privilege.

Those few years hold a special place in my heart.  Those girls left lasting imprints on my life.

It was such a sweet time.

And as I look at them now, I stand in amazement at where their journeys have taken them.  I’m so thankful for the opportunity I had to pour into their lives.

The time I spent with each one… mattered.

How do I know?

Because when life gets too big, and things get too hard… they still reach out to me.

Just the other day, one of my girls called in tears.

While we hadn’t spoken in quite a while, she called me after receiving some devastating news.  She needed my perspective.  My advice.

She may never know what that did to my heart.

I was called when one was rushed to the hospital with a premature delivery.

When my family travels on vacation, one always house-sits for us.

I’ve stored unused furniture in our basement for another.

I’ve been to baby showers and graduation parties.

I’ve sat with one during chemo treatments.

One still sends me Mother’s Day cards.

My family has helped others move.

I’ve held a few as they’ve cried.

They’ve loved on my kids.

What I’ve come to understand, is that what we do… matters.

The time we give…

The listening ears…

The gifts we give…

The meals we make…

The notes we write…

They all matter.

From time to time, what people need to make it through the day is a friendly smile, familiar hug or word of encouragement.

Do you freely give those things?

So often, we think of missions work as traveling half-way around the globe to some foreign country or remote area.

The reality is, however, that sometimes our most important mission is right here.

Sisters… we have the unique privilege to love on others. 

We get the opportunity to be a powerful influence in people’s lives.

But we have to be willing to invest.

In a world where we can comment on Facebook… text rather than talk… email rather than call… we have to make a deliberate choice to connect on a more personal level.

We can’t lose that special part of community.

Jesus was all about relationships.  His influence was seen on a very personal.  Even though He had the ability to heal from afar, He chose to physically go to the one in need.

Jesus knew the power of the Ministry of Presence.

God’s Holy Spirit lives in us.  He is with us 24/7/365.  He knows the importance of being intimately connected.

Even God Himself goes before us.  He stands beside us.  He is all around us.  And though sometimes we feel far away from Him, God is closer than our breath.

We are created for community.

Think about those people who have made the biggest impact on your life.  Remember what they did that ministered so deeply to your soul.

Are you making that kind of impact in someone’s life?

Remember that what you do… matters.

♥

REALITY CHECK:  Sometimes your mission field is your own community.

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©2012 careyscotttalks.com

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