Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Significance

I have been thinking a lot about significance lately. Mostly because that is the sermon topic coming up and my mind has to go there. However, it also has a lot to do with the election period we just went through as a country. 
It is said this will be record breaking voter turn out. I am not going to attempt to guess what the reason for the record breaking numbers - it really doesn't matter in the long run.  People got out and voted because they believe their vote is significant to a big decision. I waited in the voter line for 45 minutes because I thought the way I filled out the little circle mattered. I still believe that to be true. I think it is important that we vote and each vote matter. 

But the election is over. There has been a lot of energy (or at least Facebook space) used toward this election. What's next? 

What we do with our time does matter. The causes we support and the energy we used toward activities and events matter.  Does what I focus on day in and day out make a difference for the kingdom of God? 
I don't mean to upset anyone, but in twenty five years from now will anyone thank you for the words you spoke or the words you typed for a particular candidate. I don't know - maybe because of the history made during this election some will be remembered. 
Still, I think the words will be forgotten in a couple decades. 
However, this morning I ran into one of my youth sponsors from (you guessed it) twenty five years ago. I remember the time she poured into our youth program. My heart is full with what she meant and means to me. I can remember different moments she spent with us as youth. Her time was significant to me and who I am today. 
I want to spend my time being significant. 
Just a thought. 

1 comment:

Matt said...

Melissa,

Your post prompted me to write something. I want to say a few things about someone who was very significant to me. Forty years ago I had a neighbor who was a college teacher. I still remember the things that he did for me and others. He was my baseball coach and he took me and other kids on bike rides to Lake Springfield. He also had us into his home to meet his family. When he told me during baseball practice that I had just caught a "major league" fly ball I thought that I had caught one like they did in the big leagues. He had come from California and I believed that he knew what it was like. By the way he was black. I only mention this because looking back on this fact has increased my admiriation for him. This was 1968 and there wasn't much ethnic diversity in Springfield. I have had a career of working with kids as a teacher and coach and I only hope that I have had just a little of the impact that he had on me.

Matt