We are people of influence
….(think about it).
We either influence, or are influenced. Whether its ideas, ghost stories, jokes, feelings, (you get the picture)….we can't seem to escape it.
Adam and Eve – perfect examples.
They influenced each other.
She caused him to sing. He caused her to feel free and shameless. The serpent influenced their instruction. (dang snakes) She showed him. He accepted. And the world came tumbling down…
We know the story,…just, how often though do we stop and plug it into our own lives?
I started this summer at Journeyquest hating reggae music. And I left with songs on my ipod influenced by this goonberry I worked with on staff. Ack, I really can’t stop listening to Trevor Hall and O.A.R. By the month of August, and 3 months of hearing his attempted Bob Marley paddle solos, I had a completely different perspective on its sound. He helped me hear it.
(<-check out those dreads, yea, #jealous)
Healthy food seemed overrated and easily required too much of my precious down town. I always felt like one of the dwarfs from The Hobbit being presented with lettuce. (bleh). This all said, until one of my fellow guides managed to continually make something completely healthy/incredible smelling in the kitchen every night. All in the exact amount of time it took me to cook my mac and cheese. (disclaimer, mac and cheese is the bomb.) But, let’s just say my meal tonight probably basically reflected what one of her meals looked like. Tomatoes, corn, beans, onions, and meat, all without sauce. She helped me see it.
(oh look, a normal earth bounty meal for Amy –>)
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Those we surround ourselves with are important. Sooo important.
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If it were just meant to be us and God, He would have created just Him and us. But He didn’t….golly, he made us and then he made everyone else. He made a world where we can influence or be influenced.
I found myself sitting in teacher meetings today in awe as I watched myself and how easily someone’s perception of a circumstance or situation instantly changed my attitude towards a subject. While it is often for reasons of ‘fitting into’ society, acceptance, or security, I couldn’t believe how easily my opinion was changed by the attitudes of those around me.
Sometimes for the good.
But sometimes not.
Today was a bit of a culture shock for me. Words can’t quite describe how much I miss the people I worked with this summer. Goodness, the community of people I guided with influenced me in such a beautiful way. Granted, we all have our faults, we fail and fall short. Community is anything but perfect. But I do know one thing, those I called family and friends this summer influenced my life by being faithful to Jesus and in serving those we were around.
We created an atmosphere for authentic discipleship through vulnerability and the continued encouragement to focus outward.
I won’t necessarily have that the next 5 months. I’m living in a different reality.
I’m back in a place where with that good ole ‘daily grind.’ Sure, we’re teachers, but man, teaching can be hard. Continually surrounded by students who have difficult home lives, by staff that doesn’t see eye to eye. A time demanding and low paying job for many. I can see myself being influenced in so many way.
But there’s always a choice.
1 Corinthians 11:1
“So whether you eat or drink, or WHATEVER you do, do it all for the glory of God…I don’t just do what is best for me; I do what is best for others…Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.”
I hope I can be a person of influence these next months.
Perhaps I can be a supporter and encourager for those I’m around and working with this semester. I want to be. Maybe not in a musical ‘Bob Marley,’ sense, or cooking veggies instead or hamburger helped fashion…
But maybe just in a smile. Maybe in choosing to view life through eyes of gratitude instead of lists.
I’m not perfect, I know I’ll mess up. But I’m addressing the issue and my goals now. If any educator I work with reads this, keep me accountable. I’ve got 5 months to give it my all. 5 hard months. Yet, hopefully 5 months to influence my peers and fellow educators in a fashion that I so dearly loved and miss from this summer.
