As I grew up I never imagined I would be the age I am. It is not a bad thing. I feel that I am able to do as much as I want to do. In addition to the age number, there is an added benefit. Time brings a type of certainty born from experience that I never expected at any age. I have also come to realize how much I enjoy the challenge of using my experience to help a community achieve what it sees as difficult. Candidly, I do not see my experience as anything special. Everyone has a unique perspective that can add value to those around them. For me, it is simply what I have as a result of five plus decades of living.
The question I wake up to is a simple one. What can I do to make a difference to those around me? Will I be a force for good? Will I turn away and focus on myself at the expense of my community?
I listen to others present and past reminding me of truths that come with experience. One writer notes the priceless opportunity we have; “All of you, slave and free both, were once held hostage in a sinful society. Then a huge sum was paid out for your ransom. So please don’t, out of old habit, slip back into being or doing what everyone else tells you.” (1 Corinthians 7.23) I listen and I am back to the question of today. What will it be?
The witness of those making a difference is a powerful call for hope. In the context of tragedy, those willing to give for others is a testimony to the eternal value community brings.
The world needs our engagement. There is a cry for compassion. There is a thirst for mercy. There is a longing to know Hope’s face and touch. For some, we are the one that can be God’s touch in her/his life. We may struggle. Regardless of where we are, God is willing to have us as Divine Ambassadors.
