Remembering

 This week is one that has 'remembering' on the minds of many.

With the one-year anniversary of the murder of a highly influential person, alongside the 25th anniversary of a major act of terrorism within our own borders that ended the lives of thousands in an instant, a large majority of humanity is pausing to reflect.

Amidst the reflection occurring within my own heart and mind came a question: What are we remembering?

It is easy to remember that evil is very present.

Is it also easy to remember that good is very present?

Regurgitating the evils that have been and continue to occur on a daily basis - yes, this is one way to remember. It is a way to gain attention, to fuel a fire, to amp up the crowd. It is also a way to build barriers, to cut off community, and to entirely lose hope.

Reminding of the good that is always circulating amongst the evil - this is another way to remember. It is a way to gain perspective, to uplift and unite, to honor and heal, to empower and inspire, to respect and restore.

In this recent reflection, my mind's eye saw a picture. It was an old book on a high shelf, covered in dust and cobwebs.

This image stirred within me a realization that we have forgotten what we already possess. See, the truth is that each of us has been gifted with things in this life that we have put away 'on a shelf' and stopped using.

When we remember a young, passionate life that ended publicly and abruptly, we clearly see the intellectual and relational talents that were suddenly lost and are no longer impacting our society.

When we remember those who spent the final moments of their lives running headlong into imminent danger, a light shines on the courage and character and strength and sacrifice that seemingly disappeared along with them.

But what if the good that was occurring in the midst of the evil caused us to dust off the treasures that still exist?

What if we realized that we have incredible opportunities in our possession that we, much like those we remember this week, can passionately embrace and actively utilize to increase the potential for good to speak louder than evil?

Pull out your stepladder, check out that old dusty shelf, and see what you find. Maybe it looks like:

Generosity

Compassion

Time

Hospitality

Learning

Encouragement

Creativity

Leadership

Connection

Help

Inspiration

Life

Each of us has unique abilities and opportunities that no one else does. Yet none of us knows how much time we are given to use them. We must fight hard to ensure they do not go to waste.

And everyone, everywhere, is influencing someone.

What are you doing with your influence?

Every moment is a chance to remember.

Set Apart

Reach into a drawer full of forks, and you know exactly what you're getting. No surprises there.

But reach into a drawer that you THINK is full of spoons and find one fork in the mix? That might catch your attention!

The one fork definitely stands out among the spoons. It has a whole different use and purpose, and it is needed to function separately from the other utensils.

Did you know that God created you to be 'set apart'?
"But you are God's chosen treasure...set apart as God's devoted ones."
1Peter 2:9

Each of us was created uniquely with things to offer that no one else can.

Spending your time reading and listening to and watching the same things as your peers, staying busy looking for or laughing about the latest trend...these cause you to live life like the rest of the world. You eventually start looking like everyone else.
But you weren't made for that.

If everyone else is doing it,
you should be doing something different.

There is no one else quite like you. No one else can bring to the world what you can. And that design was fashioned by the One who calls you His "chosen treasure".

It is in relationship with Jesus, our Creator, where your individual value is realized, where your purposes are both identified and strengthened. This is where He gets to show you what He gave you and teach you what He made you for.

Drowning in the opinions and thoughts of the rest of the planet is not why you exist; you were made to participate in the community you can touch, to make your 'neighborhood' better, to be the one fork in the spoon drawer on steak night.

Following Jesus and getting to know the One who knows and loves you best - this equips you to recognize and utilize your specific abilities. It prepares you to bring blessings to those you come into contact with every day - blessings that we would miss out on if you didn't share them.

Won't you trust Him today?
You know you're meant for something different.
Let God show you what He set you apart for.
Don't waste another moment blending in.

What If

What if Instagram (Facebook, TikTok, Snapchat, X...) was deleted and we had to talk to real people in real time and share phone numbers in order to connect again afterwards?

What if we processed our own thoughts without the input of hundreds of thousands of others who haven't yet processed their own thoughts and definitely haven't earned the right to take up precious space in our minds?

What if learned about real life by sitting with a real person who is thoughtfully relaying his/her real lived experiences?

What if didn't subject ourselves every day, all day long, to the knee-jerk, emotion-filled reactions of strangers to every day life; the same life that's occurring all around us outside our own front door?

What if we learned to trust the imperfect person sitting across from us by engaging them, listening, watching, and truly seeking to understand?

What if engaging mattered more than escaping?

What if we didn't have to wonder about truth because we experienced it - the good, the bad, and the ugly - in real time, with real people, through tangible way, soaking in the realities of life with all 5 senses, and having conversations about our experiences?

What if we quit wasting our invaluable and irreplaceable resources - our words, our relationships, our creativity, our time - in so many ways that will never truly matter?