What's Your Impact?

On Thursday as I was getting ready for my day, I couldn't decide what to wear so I sort of flippantly asked God what I should wear. I felt like He said "Wear all black." So, as out of my comfort zone it is to wear all black, I went with it and wore a black shirt with black pants and a yellow scarf.

On Thursdays, my school has something called "Director's Docket" in the afternoon. This is a time where there is no scheduled speaker and our school director can choose to talk about whatever they want. This week, Thursday was July 9th. During Director's Docket, we all piled into vans, not knowing where we were going.

Eventually we pulled into a cemetery. Immediately we knew why we were there. When our director spoke in our school, he shared his testimony. He told us about his daughter who was born, then diagnosed with a rare disease soon after. She ended up passing away on July 9, at only 10 months old.

As we stood in front of his daughter's gravestone, he told us of the undying faith of his family. He told of how he and his wife chose to fight for love, fight for family and fight for Who they believe in. He also told about the impact his daughter had on the people who knew her story all around the world. As some of his last words to us at that time, he said, "She lived for 10 months and had a huge impact. You've already lived longer; what impact will you have in your life?"

Here is my challenge for you as well: What impact will you have on the world with your life?

That dream you've always had? Go do it. Make it happen. Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart. (Psalm 37) If He has planted a dream in your heart, work towards achieving it and He will help you. Keep fighting for it.

Love Has Won

In the last few weeks, the biggest thing in the news in the US (and around the world, it seems) has been about the Supreme Court ruling on gay marriage. The supporters use the hashtag "#lovewins" to show their support, pride, and excitement.

I got a shirt a few months ago that says, "Love has won." This was before the "love wins" hashtag was put into practice. Yet, because of decisions in the last two weeks, when people see my shirt, they probably think of that ruling, even though my shirt means something completely different.

Love did not win with a Supreme Court ruling.
Love did not win when the sanctity of marriage as one man and one woman became just another option, if that's what you like.
Love did not win when two men could get married because it "feels good."
Love did not win when that couple got divorced when they "fell out of love."

Love won 2,000 years ago.
Love won when Jesus Christ gave himself up on the cross for all our sins.
Love won when we were forgiven of our sins by nothing of our own doing.
Love won when we were given the opportunity to accept relationship with God through Christ.
Love wins when a man and woman choose to love each other each day and stay married because they made a commitment.
Love wins when a man and woman get married and celebrate a new anniversary each year.
Love wins when someone says, "Thank you for accepting me," even when they know you adamantly do not agree with their lifestyle, but choose to love the sinner and hate the sin.
Love wins when a family stays together and chooses to fight together through the hard times.

True Love has won and everything else is simply a vapor in the wind.