You Never Know...

I just saw that well over a month ago I got a message from a guy who was in a class that I “mentored” in high school, and he told me that I had a positive impact on his life. I laughed at myself for that one. Me? A positive impact? You gotta be kidding.

I’m not degrading his opinion, but I’m shocked at how I, especially high school me, could have a positive impact on anyone. I was terrible in high school.

Yet some how…I had a positive impact in this kids life, and years later he still remembers me and thanks me for it.

As many of you may know, I’m heading out to Pittsburgh here in about a month, and I have to raise support. So I’m sending letters to whoever I can to get some help. Some people that I sent letters to I haven’t talked to or seen in almost a decade. Yet I send a letter to them because 1: I hope they’ll be willing to help me out, and 2: They had a similar impact on me, and that without that impact they had on my life, I would not be in ministry today.

There’s also this thing that’s going on right here. If you’re reading this, this is exactly what I’m talking about. I don’t know who reads these blog posts. I don’t know if they’re any good, if I’m on track with what’s going on in their life, or even if I’m right about have the things I write. There are days where I get 4 views on a post, and days when I get 20 something. I never know who’s reading this, where they’re at in their life, or even if they’re a Christian. I have no clue. And in a way, I don’t care.

I say that because of this.

I don’t care where you are in the world, where you are in your life journey, where you are with your walk with Christ, or even if you have a walk with Christ. It doesn’t matter to me. All I know is that God gave me a mind, people to care for, apparently some skills with writing else people wouldn’t read this, and a knowledge of his Word and himself. Half the stuff I write on here, and most that I do outside of blog posts is just live. I did nothing special in that class that the guy was in from high school. I just lived. I was just myself. The people who helped lead me to ministry, they didn’t know that they were going to do that. I was just a kid when those things happened. Yet the groomed me for ministry none the less. They had no idea that years down the road I would be in graduate school for theology and have a degree in Bible in ministry.

When I had my youth ministry, I had no idea how much I was helping those kids, until after I get texts saying nothing is happening, no growth is coming for them. I thought I was a terrible teacher. But apparently they were learning.

I hate constantly using myself as an example, but honestly I know my life story than anyone else, and God let me be smart enough to look back and connect all the dots.

So the reason I got on this tirade is so that I can tell you: You never know what impact you will have on people. Either positive or negative. I guarantee you I have had more negative impacts than positive. I interviewed with a church, got in a…discussion with the minister, I about flipped out on him because neither of us would give ground in our discussion. Negative impact. I’ve dated girls and did absolutely nothing about getting them saved. Some of the biggest regrets of my life right there, not caring about their salvation. My life styles at the time were a huge negative impact on them.

You never know what your actions will do to impact a person.

Back in high school, I wasn’t a good guy. Yet somehow, I had a positive impact on this kids life. This makes me more conscious of my actions now.

Remember this: You will never know who is watching, and what you mean to them.