Make a Difference Day

Today is Make a Difference Day. For the Christian, every day is Make a Difference Day, according to Dr. David Jeremiah.

Today, I can choose to make a difference in the lives of the people I encounter. Family. Friends. Co-workers. Total strangers.

A hug. A smile. A prayer. A kind word of encouragement. A listening ear. A shoulder to cry on.

I can see a need and meet it. I can write a letter or an e-mail. I can make a phone call. I can drop by for a visit. I can invite someone to lunch.

There are countless ways that I can make a difference today. It takes a little bit of effort. Maybe a little creativity. But I can make a difference.

I think about the countless ways that people have made a difference in our lives since I was diagnosed with Ewing's Sarcoma. Prayers. Phone calls. Letters and cards. Gifts. Words of encouragement. Offers to drive me to appointments. Offers to care for our children. Offers to help us with home maintenance and improvement. Simple things. Big things that require much personal sacrifice. All have made a difference in my life.

I have learned through all of this generosity of others that you cannot outgive God. God's resources are limitless. Being on the receiving end is a blessing and a humbling experience. But giving is an even greater blessing. The more we give, the more we are blessed. Sometimes we try to hold on to what we have, when God's desire is for us to give it away freely.

We are called to be good stewards of what God has given us. The Parable of the Talents in Matthew 25 teaches us that being faithful to God includes using the opportunities that He has given us. Using the resources He has provided. To be faithful is to be fruitful. We must not cling to what God has given to us, thinking of it as our own. God owns everything. We must recognize that we are God's appointed stewards and that we are to use what has been given to us for His glory and the benefit of others.

Today is Make a Difference Day. Let's make a difference in the lives of others.