“I’ve never known a fire that didn’t begin with a flame/Every storm will start with just a drop of rain.” ~Nichole Nordeman

A life that makes an impact. That’s what I came away from this weekend’s retreat with … words that burned deep within my heart and fueled the fire for my own passion even greater. My deepest desire in this life is to know my Abba more … and to make a difference in this world – to leave a mark on it for Jesus. Like Zorro, to leave my initials behind me wherever I go … to have a supernatural love within me that goes beyond the expectations of this world … to pour myself out into others and give myself away – my gifts, my talents, and abilities so that they all point back to my dear Savior. This life is too short to waste … I don’t want to have to come to the end of my life, and regret that I’ve wasted it on foolish, short-term pleasures. I want the waves of my life to cause ripples throughout generations to come. I want to be a woman of faith that is remembered as one who gave her all for her Savior.

It’s such a daunting task to think on sometimes – making a difference in other people’s lives. Sometimes I get overwhelmed when I think about all the people I have the potential to reach. How can I make sure that I effectively reach all of them and give them what they need? This has always been my fear when I think of touching other people’s lives … that I will fall short and be inadequate. But as one of our elders reminded me through his message, only God can take care of everyone. He knows everyone’s needs and only He can effectively meet them all. He will lead me to the people He wants me to love on and care about. I simply need to be faithful to pour my life out to the few people He places in my life so that eventually one day, they will go out and touch other people’s lives, and the ripple effect will continue. To be that single drop of rain that begins a storm …

It makes me think of one of my all-time favorite quotes from Ruth Stull – “If my life is broken when given to Jesus, it is because pieces will feed a multitude, while a loaf will satisfy only a little lad.” He can do so much more with my life when I give it to Him than if I kept it all to myself and selfishly pursued my own pleasures … so this is all I ask: that He would keep me faithful to Him and that He would make my life count for eternity.

Let us declare His love and faithfulness to the nations.