Our summer at the Inn was oh so good… BUT oh so busy! That’s the point though… right? Keeping my brain from going in so many different directions… staying on task… BUT I have really missed chatting with y’all!
Come sit with me for a minute… will ya? I have had so much on my mind lately, so I wondered if I could share a little of that with you… sound good?
Do you ever think about your circle of influence??? You might ask, “Circle of influence… who am I that I could influence anyone?”
Believe it or not you will influence someone… either for the good towards Christ or for the not so good away from the things of Christ!
When you think about that, how does that make you feel?
My parents taught me and my sisters at a young age that people are watching our walk, but even more importantly… Father God is watching our walk. As a teenager going out on the weekend, my momma would say, “Remember whose child you are!” The child of my earthly parents, but also of my Heavenly Parent.
Of course, when I slip… He still loves me, BUT the more I grow… the greater opportunity He gives for me to have a larger circle of influence.
When struggles come… and they will… I have to let those people God has placed around me to influence me and help me decide how I am going to act not react. That is why building authentic, God-given friendships are so important!
Focus with me for a minute on God as the Creator of Heaven and Earth… what an incredible thing that is… He is the Master of ALL creation… even you and me! If He has made all of creation, then what must that mean for us… humans??? He has created us to not do life alone! He designed us to live in community, so we can lean on each other in those tough times and celebrate in the good ones too!
Everything we are going through… have gone through… will go through can be used to influence others through our story… through our testimony… through our actions!
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. He is the Father who is full of mercy, the God of all comfort. He comforts us every time we have trouble so that when others have trouble, we can comfort them with the same comfort God gives us. ~ 2 Corinthians 1:3-4
Many years ago, I went through something so devastating and confusing. Our pastor at the time said to me, “What you are going through at this time will be used to help others down the road.” The verses above (2 Corinthinas 1:3-4) were the verses he gave me to hold onto as I made my way through it all. It is something I still cling to now when things happen that I have no answer for or explanation.
I often hear people say, “Everything happens for a reason.” I have a little trouble with that statement! In a fallen world… things just happen because of sin, wrong decisions, nature, disease… bad, bad things. Let me encourage your heart… sometimes there is no reason for why things happen, we only see a “dot” of the big picture! BUT… we can still use all of it for God’s good… to be an influencer in our circle of influence.
Do you feel like you are missing out on community? What do you desire most about community?
Ask God to show you who He wants to be your circle of influence! Get ready! He will not disappoint!
For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord will give grace and glory; no good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly. ~ Psalms 84:11
In His Grace, Carin
PS: Talk back to me! I love to hear what y’all have to say about this subject!