 |
| Is Chivalry Dead? |
Saturday, June 30, 2018
Is Chivalry Dead?
Friday, June 29, 2018
Should I be angry?
When we look at the world around us, it can be difficult not to be overwhelmed by the pain we see, even the pain and hurt in our own lives. And just when we think it can't get any worse, someone else looses their life. Cancer claims another victim. A natural disaster sweeps away homes. Evil people pick up weapons and march into public areas firing away. And once again our nation weeps at the loss. We lower the flags to half mast. And people cry out "Why?" Searching for an answer to their pain. Often we find ourselves turning to anger. Anger at anyone who we think causes the hurt. The shooter, the doctors, the president, even God. In truth, this post isn't just about being angry, it's answering the question "should I be angry at God?" And that is a question that almost every Christian would answer with an automatic "of course not" and then we would launch into how God so loved the world. And I completely agree with that common response, but there is much more to it. See, I came across this question as I was studying about the lives of the Jews who survived the Holocaust and how hard it was for their lives to continue. And many people asked (and continue to ask) why did God allow more than 6 million Jews to die? Why would a loving savior watch over 60 million people get slaughtered during the 2nd World War? And why shouldn't we be angry about it?
Now, I am far from the expert on this subject. In fact, deciding on my answer was very hard. And I know everyone has there own opinions on predestination or free will, but basically God gave us a choice. And we all decided to sin. We all decided to betray God and take Satan's bait. Because of that, we are punished with death. So, why would God give us free will? Why even create us? I mean, who would create people just to watch them suffer and die?
Before I go any further I want to say that these are questions I have struggled with. Problems that I couldn't find the solutions to, and so I really began to question why I am here. From what I discovered, I tried to form answers. They aren't perfect. But some things, I believe, were meant to be a mystery. And one day, we will find out the perfect answers. For now, here's what I decided. And it all has to do with puppies.
I don't know if you have any pets, but we do, we own two dogs. We decided that we should have a liter of puppies. That we would bring into the world more animals. Hopefully we could then sell them to good homes. Having those puppies gave us intense joy. We got to see them learn, watch them grow, and help them enjoy life. A lot of work went into making sure that all of those puppies were happy as much as possible. If you have ever held a puppy than you might know the joy of that. Slowly, the litter grew up and one after one they were sold. But we got to keep one for an extra few weeks, and then later we got to watch him throughout the day while the family was busy. That dog never left my side. I was the one who fed him, trained him, and loved him. It was incredible. But it wasn't perfect. He had to be trained to go outside and there were many accidents in the house. I would scold him or punish him, and yet I still loved him. And I got to see how much he loved me, seeing the trust he placed in me overwhelmed me with joy and love for him. Eventually he had to go to the family that bought him and he stepped out of my life.
When I was looking for answers, that was the example that showed me what it might be like for God to love us. He didn't have to create us, but it gave Him joy. He didn't have to give us everything we needed to survive and love Him, but seeing us happy gave Him joy. We were created to glorify Him, and God did everything possible to make that a reality; including giving us free will. The more I began thinking about this, the more the question popped up "does that mean God is selfish? If all he wants is His own joy?" No. In fact, His glory is for our joy. As described by the first line of the Westminster Catechism, “Man’s end is to glorify God and enjoy him forever.” We exist to glorify and ENJOY God. There is a link between the glory we bring to God and our own joy. It’s the way we’re wired. If we enjoy Him forever, that means enjoying His glory forever as well. God created us to enjoy His glory, and bring glory to Him. One day, our joy will be made complete in His glory.
So let's bring it back to the puppy. When I had to punish him, it was for his own good and I still loved him. He had made the choice to do something wrong and had to suffer the consequences, but later would experience my love again. And I realize it can be hard to find the correlation between punishing a dog and allowing over 60 million people to die, yet the principle is the same. We chose to betray God, we are suffering the consequences. But He didn't just allow us to suffer the consequences. He doesn't just watch us suffer with no compassion. Rather, He did the most selfless thing possible. He sent His ONLY Son to live a perfect life and die a criminal's death. Why? For who? Because He loved us. He loves us. We betrayed Him, and He had compassion. This is the Good News.
No, we should not be angry at God. If we must be angry, that anger should be directed at the sin that we commit. The sin the caused the deaths in the first place. But we aren't just called to hate that sin, we should be actively fighting it. Spreading love. There are people who are angry at God. But we shouldn't be. And someone needs to tell them that. God didn't create us just to watch us suffer and die, He did it so that He could be honored through OUR JOY!!
Yes, I loved that puppy, but I couldn't have sent someone to die for him. But God loves us with a perfect love and sent His Son to die so that our joy could be complete in Him one day.
And that, is much more than puppy love.
Tuesday, June 19, 2018
A Servant's Heart
Let me tell you the story
of a man who lived before cell phones, and before cars. Who didn't see his
friends every day, and who knew hardship.
He came to know Jesus while he was traveling, on his way to
do something that he would have later regretted. No one could believe that he
was actually a Christian and he faced disbelief from the rest of the Church. As
soon as he could, this man began preaching the word of God to anyone who would
listen. He journeyed to various cities, and was forced to leave one due to
persecution when his life was at risk. When a neighboring city was facing
famine, he and a friend hastened to minister there. Ten years after his
conversion, he took his first mission trip, and in the following ten years he
took two more. During one of them he was put in jail in Europe, but after
singing hymns, he and his fellow missionary were able to leave due to a natural
phenomenon. His third trip lasted more than 3 years and involved detours
because of plots to take his life. Finally, on one of his returns home, he was
arrested for preaching Christ. For two years he preached from jail where he
wrote the majority of his letters, and then is moved to a different city and is
put under house arrest there as he awaits trial. After 5 years of captivity,
this man is released and continues his ministry, preaching, planting churches,
and writing letters. Two years later he is taken by the government and is
martyred. Throughout his journeys, he had preached even when things looked
pretty rough, he even told his friends while he was in jail not to worry for
him but to focus on their ministry for the Lord. 13 of his letters were
published and are now read by Christians all over the world. He ran his race
completely. He didn't complain about serving the Lord. And he showed what
dedication is.
This is a brief look at the life of Paul the apostle. And I
don't think we consider the magnitude of his work often enough. He persecuted
the church, and yet God saved him. When faced with death, he stood fast. While
he was in jail, he wrote Scripture. That is truly amazing. That is what it
looks like to be a servant of the Lord.
I have another story for you, one that has the same theme
but with a different outcome.
"Cinderella! Cinderella" These words are the bane
of servant girl, Cinderella. We are all pretty familiar with the story
line of this classic tale that goes something like this: Once upon a time there
was a girl who lived with her evil stepmother and two step-sisters. The
stepmother didn’t like her and made her do household work. Her step-sisters
never had to work and made fun of Cinderella. One day, a letter from the
king came inviting them to a ball....Cinderella wanted to go. Her stepmother
told her that she can if she completes all her work on time and also helps her
step sisters with their dresses for the ball. Cinderella worked as fast as she
could to get everything done but there was always something left. At last, she
was left at home disappointed. As she is sobbing her heart out, a fairy
godmother appears, waves her wand, and bam, she has a dress and a
carriage. But she is told that they will go away at midnight so she rushes to
the ball. When the clock strikes midnight, Cinderella runs home leaving a shoe
behind which the prince (who she danced with) uses to locate her and take her
to the castle. They get married and live happily ever after.
That was just a very brief summary of what happens. (spoiler
alert to those that have not seen Cinderella.)
And we love to put our focus on that last part: them living
happily ever after. But the real message comes from the long hard years before
the ball. The story of a young, persecuted, overworked girl living in poverty
in her own home. She doesn't become bitter, she doesn't retaliate, she doesn't
refuse to work. My favorite version of the story is from the live action movie.
Because in it, Cinderella lives by two rules: have COURAGE, and be KIND. I know
it is a fictional movie, but think about how brave she had to be. Imagine how
much courage that takes, to be a servant in your own home. To be ridiculed and
never return it with anger. To be so kind you never show hate. It isn't often
we can look into the real world and see someone with a true servant's heart.
But we can look at the story of Cinderella to remind us what it looks like to
serve. To be kind. And to have courage.
So let's compare these two stories. The way that the story of Paul differs from that of Cinderella, is that Paul was real. He was persecuted and still had courage. He had a servant's heart. But we don't like to look at his story too much, because his doesn't end with the words, "happily ever after". Instead, he died a servant of the Lord. And that scares us. We don't want to face that. We would much rather look at Cinderella. Her fairy godmother appeared to help her out of a difficult situation, and her story ended happily.
So you're probably wondering, why am I trying to compare these people? What is the conclusion I want to reach? Well, in both cases, we are shown a true servant's heart. One is rewarded before the end of the story, and one is not. One has a fairy that fixes the situation, and one has to work from jail. But both have a reward before them. They both were put through extreme trials. Both were kind. Both had courage.
Cinderella and Paul showed us what it is like to serve
others in love. It isn't just a concept that exists in a fairy tale. You
can have courage and be kind. You can have a servant's heart.
These two people did. It doesn't matter if the story ends with "happily
ever after". We are given hope of a reward far greater than Cinderella's
fairy godmother could ever provide. So show some love, and make this fairy tale
of having courage and being kind in our world, a reality.
Thursday, June 14, 2018
A different perspective
He was annoying. The Uber driver was clearly not from around
here and didn’t speak English very well. It was late, we were frustrated. We
were having a lot of struggles getting him to understand what we needed and we
were all tired. But I kept reminding myself that the driver was a person. He
had feelings. He was just trying to do his job. Finally, we got the
complications settled out and my dad started asking him a little about himself.
He was from the middle east and had recently moved to California to pursue a degree
in English. Being an Uber driver allowed for a flexible schedule so that he
could study and pick his young boy up from school in the evenings. He and his
wife had two very young kids and both worked. We were surprised. He wasn’t
trying to be difficult. He was simply trying to support his young family. Once
we realized this, we began to view him differently. Right after we had entered
the car, we had judged him too quickly based off of what we thought we saw and
what we needed. Immediately seeing how he didn’t meet those needs. But before
we exited, I knew that I had been wrong to judge so quickly. I gained a whole new perspective about this person. Once I understood
his story I figured out that he was working really hard to pursue a good life,
and he was struggling much more than us. It isn’t until you walk in someone
else’s shoes, try to understand their story, and get to know them, that you can
truly communicate and connect.
Have you been in the car when whoever is driving speeds and swerves out in front of someone cause your running late to something important? I
bet it’s happened to all of us. But we have also all been the one that’s watching
a car pull out in front of us and speed away. Have you have wondered what they
are running late too? Have you ever looked out the window at people passing by,
and wondered what their story is? We all have struggles and adventures in life
and it’s worth it to get to know a total stranger’s background. But you really
can’t do that if you view them as nothing more than “the Uber driver” or “the
checkout person” or any other label that put on people. There should be times in your week, where you
just stop and talk to someone you don’t know and might never see again. It will
open your eyes to the little miracles that God works every day. Like how this
young Uber driver was able to come to the U.S. in the first place because of
his previous work with the military. So pause, and take a look around at the
people you don’t know, and start finding out what going on in their life. It
will be worth it and you'll gain a new perspective.
Wednesday, June 13, 2018
Entropy and the 2nd Law of Thermodynamics
ENTROPY
I was doing chemistry this morning, which isn’t my favorite subject so I generally try to get it done quickly, and I had to watch a lecture on entropy. Entropy means, “gradual decline into disorder.” And I thought, huh, that’s a cheery idea. (sarcasm) But the whole lecture is about how every chemical reaction adds to the disorder in the universe. Even if it helps us momentarily, it is destroying us in a different way. This idea lead to me to a few conclusions and ideas that I had kind of known before, but never really thought that deeply about.
First, that very clearly and scientifically destroys the theory of evolution. If disorder only increases, how do more intelligent species come into being? If the universe is constantly descending further into chaos, then how would humans evolve from some single-celled organism? It doesn’t make sense. The 2nd Law of Thermodynamics is a law for a reason. It can’t be disputed; it is always true. Laws like these give scientists the foundation off of which they should be making conclusions. So any evolutionist will probably try to ignore that concept of entropy, because it really destroys that stance. Then how were we formed? A perfect, all-knowing, all-powerful God spoke. And created us. That is a much more reasonable conclusion since it fits with the 2nd Law of Thermodynamics, we have an account of it in the Bible, and research and archeology backs it up.
Secondly, that means that we can’t stop pollution. It’s gonna happen. Literally every chemical reaction, everything we do, everything we create, pollutes the universe. Entropy is going to increase. Now I’m not saying that gives us an excuse to pollute like crazy just because it’s going to happen at some point. No. We have to be responsible stewards of God’s creation. We should do what we can to minimize the waste and not speed up total destruction. But I’m just saying, disorder and environmental problems will only get worse. Yeah, that sounds really depressing. You’re probably wondering what other depressing facts I have been pondering in light of entropy. Well, this one is really bleak.
Sin is getting worse. Don’t believe me? Look around. It’s pretty obvious and very sad. This morning as I was doing chemistry and contemplating entropy I had no idea what was going on in America. When I checked the news later I found that ten people were just killed in a Santa Fe high school. The question that rises to our minds when we hear something like that is; when will it stop? The answer; it won’t. Even if the debate over gun control reaches some solution, deaths will still occur. Humans brought sin into the world and we will always face the consequences of that sin.
Imagine a world without pollution, without shootings, without sin. Imagine how perfect that would be. Well, I do have good news. Our God is a loving God. Not only did he create this world, but he still takes interest in it even though we betrayed him. He still cares about us. So he provided a way out. He sent His ONLY Son to die for us. He gave us an alternative to the sin: Heaven. Trusting in God and the sacrifice of His Son means that He will give us the gift of eternal life with Him. That's a world where pollution won’t bother us. Where shootings won’t occur. Lives won’t be lost. And sin won’t exist. God offers a life without entropy. All it takes is faith.
My Gymnastics Life
For five years I was a gymnast, it was basically the most important thing in my life. I loved it. I made friends, I learned what courage and perseverance and patience really are. My journey in the sport started when I was nine, I began competing at ten. I had to switch gyms a few times though, and each time I did the transition was harder. I spent two of the happiest years of my life at a gym in Keller. And one of the most difficult decisions I have had to make was leaving my friends there and switching gyms yet again. It was hard, but I did it, and after that a new story was written that goes like this:
730 days ago, exactly
2 years, a girl dressed in black stepped into the building on Clay Avenue in
Haltom City and said she was there for a trial. She was shy, nervous, and
unconfident. Gymnastics had been her sport for 3 years and she wanted this
dream to continue a year longer. All she wanted was to push herself harder, become
stronger, and see how far she could go, but realized that this year would
probably be her last. So she wasn't looking for a home. She wasn't looking for
friends. She looked only for someplace that could make her improve and show her
who she really was. A few moments later she met a coach, a person who would
shape her life in a huge way, and she knew it. The trial was scary, the girls
in the back whispered about her potential as she went through the events
showing off her skills. When it was over, she went to her old gym, bearing the
knowledge that she would be leaving it soon. This was the day that changed that
young girl's life forever. This day, May 3, 2016, set into motion events that
would leave a lasting impact. 6 days later it was decided that WOG would be the
place she would spend the next year. So she worked, just that introverted,
intelligent, honest child, struggling to prove that she belonged there. She
wasn't looking for friends and didn't find them. She never worked to earn
praise or admiration from anyone, the knowledge that she did well was all she
wanted. So one competition season came, and went. She pushed
forward. Fighting was the only thing she knew, the only way she thought she
could escape the turmoil in her home and in her heart. She didn’t consider
where the journey was taking her, only that it couldn’t end yet. But she
hesitated before paying for the next competition season, she knew she would
only get worse, she wouldn’t improve any more. The pain in her life had caused
an uncertainty that led to a mental block which held her back from making
progress. But, knowing all of this, she still chose to compete another season.
That decision caused suffering that would last for years and would almost
defeat her. But it also brought an everlasting joy and change that would last
her lifetime.
It was never easy, but the
respect was already there giving her a platform for friendships that could
actually last and be meaningful. There was a love she had begun to give and
receive. A change had overcome her and given her confidence. And those feelings
made it worth it to continue to the end of the second season with WOG.
Now, at the end of two
years, this girl knows what friendships are. This girl has found her voice and
is no longer shy or unconfident. She found her life. She found love. She found
who she was, Elaine Marie Csoros. Never a champion, but she is a contender. And
she will always fight. Because I know how hard I can push myself, I made
progress, and I changed my life the day I walked into that building.
Have you ever gotten a chance to push yourself like this? Have you been shoved into a difficult situation and come out of stronger? I hope so. Pressure builds diamonds and gymnastics has been a part of that pressure for me. I challenge you: Put yourself under pressure and watch yourself grow.
Diamonds
So they aren't rare, but I believe that they are rather unique. Just think about how they are formed: stuck under tons of volcanic pressure at really high temperatures for a long time. And the result is magnificent. One of the toughest materials in the world, and it still looks wonderful. God uses plain rock in a glorious way. When the pressure in your life is building up, when you can't see the positive outcome, think about this. God has a plan. A wonderful plan. And the end result will be more beautiful than you can imagine. Every so often, you should pause and reflect on who you are now and the progress you have made in the last section of your life. It will give you the hope you need to keep going, keep fighting, keep growing.
When we are under pressure, God is making diamonds. Much of the world still holds on to the belief that diamonds are rare. And yet, you are a diamond. Created beautifully by God. And He continues His work in you every moment, especially when the pressure is high. Don't hide from the world. Don't let the world think that people that shine out are scarce. They shouldn't be. We should shine like diamonds for the whole world to see. Don't hide, fight your way into the open, be seen, and show the world God's magnificent work in you.
Speech: Importance of Time
 |
| Time is running out, use it wisely!!! |
This is one of my speeches from last year on valuing time.
Your alarm goes off.
Immediately you are up and frantically getting ready for the day. You wolf down breakfast, kiss your children, hug a loved one, grab a bag and with a hurried goodbye over your shoulder head out the door.
If this was your day, an example your busy life and you realized that it could be about to end, is there anything you would have done differently? Would you have managed your time to have family moments? What about just spending more time at home or taking that one last moment to say "I love you"? Often our time flies too fast for us to realize that it is going by or remember that our days are numbered. Today I would like to point out the importance of valuing every second of our time and how often it gets taken for granted. Well, of course, the first step would be to define time. Psalm 90 says, “The days of our lives are seventy years” however time is a mystery. We sense its passing in our consciousness. We measure its progress with delicately adjusted instruments. We mark its flight and read the record it leaves behind. But the one thing we cannot do is define it.
The Bible teaches that time and life are tied together. Nature is like a huge clockmaker’s shop in which thousands of timepieces are ticking. The rotation of the earth marks the passing of day and night; the phases of the moon are the moving on of the months; the revolutions of the planets point to the march of the years. We speak of Father Time and visualize an old man with a long white beard who is holding a scythe in one hand and an hourglass in the other hand. But time is a thief. Time robs us of our health and strips us at last of everything that we have. So we have to learn to manage it around what is really important. In Psalm 90 verse 12, the author writes, “Lord, teach us to number our days that we might have a heart of wisdom.” The concept of numbering our days was explained to me like this: say you had a jar full of skittles, you wouldn’t think much of eating three or four, or eight. However when there’s clearly only six or seven left, you start valuing them more, scheming over how you can make them last a little longer or enjoy them a more. Same thing with our days, if we didn’t know exactly how many we had left, which we don’t, shouldn’t we value them as if every skittle moment was our last?
Of course we all have plans and ideas and probably even a schedule of how your day or week is supposed to work. However, unless God wills it, our calendar is useless. Proverbs 16:9 says “The mind of man plans his way, But the LORD directs his steps." Only what the Lord determines will get done. Now, that doesn’t mean we shouldn't plan, if I never wrote down at least what I needed to do each day I would never accomplish anything. However, it does mean two things that; 1, we cannot put stock completely in schedules, but in the Lord; And 2: we must put what is most important first. Our days are numbered and when our hour does come, we should not have to regret our use of time.
Imagine there is a bank that credits your account each morning with 86,400 dollars it carries over no balance from day to day. Every evening deletes whatever part of the balance you failed to use during the day. What would you do with all of it? Of course you would draw out every cent! Each of us has such a bank. Its name is TIME. Every single morning, it credits you with 86,400 seconds. Every night it writes off, as lost, whatever of this you have failed to invest to good purpose. It allows no overdraft. If you fail to use the day’s deposits, the loss is yours. There is no going back. There is no drawing against the “tomorrow”. You must live in the present on today’s deposits. Invest it so as to get from it the utmost. Time is often referred to as money, but it way more valuable than the riches of the earth, because time is the one thing you can never get more of. The clock is running. We must make the most of today.
Then what qualifies as a "good investment" you ask. And does that mean no leisure? No, having fun and relaxing is important. But there are 3 things that you should invest in week to week; they are devotion, spending time with the Lord as well as reading from His word, work, supporting your family, and third spending time with your family. Let’s pretend these three balls are the time you spend in devotion, work, and with you loved ones, and the sand is leisure time. If you focus first on the leisure, there will be no room for the important activities. But, if good investments are prioritized, the leisure will fit in around them.
So we need to use every moment of our time in worthwhile activities, but that’s not just in everyday decisions, if you get a platform to influence the crowds, how would you use it. The Bible speaks of the young Jew, Esther, who was never expecting the change in her life when she became queen, and as she was struggling with what to do about the plans to kill her people, the Bible tells us that Mordecai said to her, “For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father's house will perish. And who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” Esther was able to use the unexpected change in her life that God provided her to save the Jews. We won’t always have the clear platform though. Sometimes we must seek out opportunities to speak out and proclaim Gods Excellency. Amid the stormy seas of life and against the background of eternity, the present moment flickers like the flicker of a lighted match. What will you do with your moment? Proclaim Gods glory? Will what you choose honor Him? Maybe you were brought in to the world for a certain time, to make a certain decision to honor God. The clock is always ticking. Time in itself is neither good nor bad except as we make it so. But it becomes a crucial test, sifting us through and through, minute by minute. How are you reacting to that test? How does it affect you? Are you growing daily in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ? Do you take advantage of every opportunity to study the Scriptures and to pray? Do you take advantage of every opportunity to witness for Jesus Christ? Every second of your life counts.
Often I worry about the time I have, thinking it may not be enough to do everything necessary. My motto often seems to be the words of Shakespeare, “Better three hours too soon than a minute to late.” Before an activity starts or we need to go somewhere, I will run around in a frenzy making sure everyone is ready to go to be exactly on time. When we get panicked about the time we have we need to remember Psalm 118:24 which says, “This is the day which the Lord has made, let us be glad and rejoice in it.” No matter what comes our way we need to rejoice in the time that God has given us and use every moment of it to honor Him. Bill Keane says, “Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, today is a gift of God, that is why we call it the present.” Today is God’s gift and we need to enjoy every second. God will give us time in the day to do everything He needs us to accomplish, but it is our job to make sure we accomplish everything He has given us time for. Time management is a skill that comes with practice, and we won’t always make right choices about using our time, but it is about progression, not perfection, every day striving to spend more time in the important events.
Abraham Lincoln says, “In the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years.” Is your life making a difference? How will you be remembered? Did you impact someone in such a way to change that person for good? As Christens we should be leaving a legacy for Christ, filling our years with life. Maybe, just maybe, we won’t all change the world, but we can influence those around us, sometimes without even realizing it.
The Huffington Post writes in 2013 that one of the top regrets of successful people is that they did not spend more time with their family. So if your life flashes before your eyes, will you find that you did not spend enough time at work or in free time? Or will you wish you had spent more time with your family and in God’s word? There’s a balance we have to find in time management, but if what is necessary comes first there will be time for everything else later. So the question that faces you today is what will you do with your time?
Speech: The Weight of Interactions
This is one of the speeches I wrote and competed with this season, it's on interactions and the weight that they have.
That summer was one of the best I can remember. It was two years ago, and our family took a vacation to the beach in Alabama, we spent three days on the water just relaxing and every night we would walk along the shore looking out at the horizon. One day as we were walking toward the water I began looking at the footprints that my family and I left, as we strode along the beautiful white beach, numerous grains of sand would shift around our weight leaving holes. Later that night many of those marks were still there. But, in the morning, only the footprints that had been the deepest could still be seen. I began thinking about how one step makes such a change, and our interactions with others have a weight also. Today, I want to show you the weight of your interactions. That term “weight of interactions” sounds pretty fancy, but it just means that everything we do with others has an impact. I decided I wanted to leave my own footprint, one that wouldn’t be gone in the morning, but a mark that remained on the people I had touched. I am still striving for that today, and I want to encourage you to as well. Our interactions have a weight to them, an ability to leave a mark on people, so we have to deeply consider every move we make, every word we say.
I am not going to shake any foundational beliefs, I am not going to try to change your mind on anything, in fact, most of what I say you have probably heard before and you will probably agree with. But, I am hoping that by showing you the facts, you will begin to consider everything you do with other people.
But first, I want to explain why this idea of our impact on others is so important. The main reason we need to consider our interactions is because we are all immortal, so everything we do has eternal effects on people. I know, that sounds crazy but it’s true, we all live forever. C.S. Lewis says, “there are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal. Nations, cultures, arts, civilizations- these are mortal and their life is to ours as the life of a gnat. But it is immortals whom we joke with, work with, marry, snub and exploit- immortal horrors or everlasting splendors.” Not a single person we talk with is truly mortal. We have the power to shape them into everlasting splendors. Hopefully, as we explore the weight of interactions, you can see how to use that power to make a positive impact. We are going to look at the myth of interactions, the mindset we should have about our interactions, and lastly, the mission, how to have a positive impact in every interaction.
First: The myth. Many people try to leave an impact by making others care about them. We talk about trials and problems and never care to listen to those of another person. The problem with modern interactions is it’s self-focused. Because of that, so many interactions have a negative impact. People can end up walking away from conversations feeling even more disappointed because they just heard someone else’s problems. That can be devastating, but what may be even worse is when we are too afraid to interact. When we make excuses for not meeting new people. We say things like, “I am an introvert.” “I am bad with names” “That person obviously doesn’t want to talk to me.” It gives us an excuse to stay caught up in our own world and not impact other people. This too, can have a negative result. On March 12th 2014 California State University hosted guest speaker Kevin Hines to share his story. When he described what happened to him, Hines says that in September of 2000 he took a bus to Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. Hines had determined that his life was worthless so he would end it by jumping from the 246-foot tall bridge. He was the last one off the bus at the last stop. As he exited, he looked at the bus driver, desperate for a kind word. At that moment, this young man made a promise to himself that if anyone smiled at him or asked how he was doing, it would prove to him that someone cared, and he wouldn’t jump when he reached the bridge. But no one did. At one point a couple even asked him to take their picture, but, consumed with their own lives, they didn’t even offer a kind word. After a few moments, he seized the rail, and then plunged toward the water. Only 2 percent of those who have done the same thing have lived to tell their stories. Miraculously, Hines was one of those. He broke just about every bone in his body but survived. His story is amazing. But even more extraordinary than his survival is the promise he made to himself before he jumped. One smile could have saved his life. We could have been that one person on the bridge. Or that person on the bus with him. We could have offered a smile, or said: “have a good night.” And had we done so, we would have gone on our way, having no idea what that small act accomplished. But no one made that choice.
I see this everywhere I go, even in a world full of social media where everyone is “connected” I see people choosing not to leave a positive impact, as a result they leave a negative one. Interactions have become all about oneself, giving us an excuse to dodge making an impact.
What is the real mindset we need to have? The mindset that we as Christians should hold is that every interaction, and choice not to interact, has an eternal impact. We need to purposefully touch everyone we can in a positive way. I mean every person we come into contact with. Everyone you say hi to, everyone you text, the people in your family, the friends you see every day, any stranger that you meet, and the random person at Starbucks-- you have an opportunity to touch their life. If you walk passed someone in the hall today and don’t strike up a conversation, you miss a chance to brighten their day. And maybe it is someone who, like Hines, was questioning the good in man. If so, then your decision to walk passed them could have an unexpected result, because maybe you failed to show God’s love at the time they needed it most. So every move and every word has to be deeply considered before we act. I think of it like writing an email. You can ask my family, if I have to write an email it often takes me hours or even days to compose it. I’ll form multiple rough drafts and show it to my siblings many times. I treat the send icon like a nuclear launch button. Inching toward it then quickly withdrawing to verify the message before finally clicking send. Even if you don’t go through this length to send an email or a text, chances are you consider those things more carefully than words you say. And yet, words spoken in person carry more weight than a simple message. Which means we need to think through them more.
So what should you do when you walk out of this room? The mission that we have is to positively impact as many lives as possible. We can do that through two simple steps. First: Consider. If you are caught up in your own problems, then you cannot consider other people and how to impact them. Quietly consider every action, every word, and the impact you can have. There are two simple questions we can ask ourselves to know if we are using our interactions wisely. How many people do you see everyday? How many do you actually stop to talk to? If your anything like me than the answer to last question is surprisingly few. When I realized that I set out to change it using the second step: leave an impact. To leave an impact on someone starts simply by talking to them, showing a little bit of kindness. Such small actions can lift a person’s spirits. Getting asked how school is going, can make my day. If someone I don’t know begins a conversation with me, it’s exciting. And now, I try to remember that feeling when I talk to others. It’s impossible to count how many people we can actually impact, but a recent estimate guesses that from age 15 to 90 you interact with 100,000 people. 100,000. What if we changed all of those peoples lives for the better? What if we even ended up saving a life? Or inspiring someone in a big way? It’s time that we start realizing this impact we can have, recognizing the power we wield to make an eternal impact.
This has become my mission, because I wish others had done this for me. I’ve always struggled with connecting with others, and two years ago, I was fine with that. I didn’t really hang out with anyone. Even last year I never tried to reach out to others, I didn’t feel like I needed to start conversations. I would walk past people with my head down. But then I finally realized: I was continuing the pattern. I wasn’t changing anything. Someone has to break this cycle, and it starts with one person. There is a theory that if one person goes out of their way to show kindness, then it starts a chain reaction. So, I tried. Yes, I failed a few times but slowly I began to reach out to people. And now, I enjoy starting conversations with anyone, friends or strangers. I am trying to continue that chain reaction by speaking to you. I hope that you begin seizing opportunities placed before you each day to make an impact. Start by just striking up a conversation. You may not see the impact, but that doesn’t mean you aren’t making one. The more you practice, the easier it is to interact in a positive way with everyone. Now, when I see someone walking toward me in the hall I stop them and ask how they are. Because I want to leave a footprint that will not be erased. I no longer pass up conversations, because I understand the weight that they hold. Do you understand? Do you realize that we all have an eternal impact on people? If so, what are you going to do to leave your footprint?
Who I am
My name is Elaine Csoros, I'm 15 and I am a Christian, homeschooled student from Texas. From a very early age I have loved reading. I love words. Now that love for words has me writing things. Reading, writing, talking are all passions of mine. Who I am is shaped by the people around me and the things I do, my family, my job, my hobbies, all play apart in who I am today. Hopefully I can convey to you who I am through this blog. And yet, I don't want to be the focus of what I write. It isn't about me. This blog is for the girl who is struggling to know she is loved. It's for the boy who thinks he can't keep going. It's for those who stay hidden in the corner. It's for the ones who feel lost. I created this blog to give myself a voice, and in doing so to speak for those who don't speak up for themselves. My dream is for that voice to inspire hundreds of people one day. It is not about me, I want to inspire you, the reader. I want to inspire others to take a stand and seize hope. I want to shine light into dark days. And I want to challenge YOU to shine light. Throughout my posts there will always be a message, maybe it's one you need to hear.
You can email me at fliptumblespeak@gmail.com
You can email me at fliptumblespeak@gmail.com
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)