Over the past few days, I have asked myself these questions many times, in many different forms. I think, if we're honest with ourselves and with each other, we can all say we've asked these questions of ourselves. What difference have I made in another's life? When I think of all the people who have left their mark on my life, I am so thankful for each and every one of them. But do they know? Is it even possible for them to know? If I were to name every single person who ever touched my life, this post would never end. There are so many of you! Family, friends, teachers- some I've known a lifetime, others only an hour or two- some live with me every day, others live half way around the world. All of these people have left their fingerprints in the painting that is my life. Each has a different color- some bold, bright, and beautiful, others subtle and almost undetected. Some might even look like mistakes on the canvas (but when God is the true artist, there are no mistakes).
I often think of kids I went to school with and wonder where they are today. I wonder about the classmates I encouraged to do better in school. I wonder about the guys I used to hang out with- the ones who would ask to borrow a dollar and never pay me back because they knew that I would never hold it against them (and yes... I kept handing out dollars even when I knew I'd never see them again because I'd hoped that, in some small way, this would remind them that I was always just a phone call away if they needed anything). I wonder about the prom queens and the homecoming kings. Where are they now? Are they happy? Did my "do something with your life" encouragement impact them longterm? I wonder about the many who left their mark on the world in their short lives- did my life make a difference in their lives the way theirs ended up impacting mine? Do any of my former teachers ever think about me the way I often think about them? How about the people I used to work with at the bank? or Panera? or Greenberg's? Did I make a difference at all?
In all of this thinking, the most pressing question is this: What am I doing today to impact the lives of others? What will I do tomorrow? In my last post, I wrote about my friend who hadn't been honest with me. Last night, we talked through some things (after I basically ate her alive Sunday night.....oops) and one of the things I said to her in the midst of us both confessing things was that we can't change the past, only the future. When I think of how many lives have touched mine, I am forced to consider the lives I may be touching. I can't change the way I impacted people in yesterdays gone by, but I can change the way I will impact them tomorrow.
After George has seen what life would be like if he had never been born, Clarence says to him
"Strange, isn't it? Each man's life touches so many other lives.
When he isn't around, he leaves an awful hole, doesn't he?"
I'm not suggesting that we take all of life's most important lessons from Hollywood (because that would not only be completely stupid, it would also be very harmful), but I think Clarence has some good insight on this one. We all make a difference in other people's lives, whether we intend to or not. You won't leave your mark on every single person you meet. Thats just life. But what about that one person you encounter who will never be the same after meeting you? Think about that.
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