Have you ever said that? “What difference does it make?”
I have. And the extension of that thought is even darker: “What difference do I make?”
Many of us, I’ll wager, would like to make an impact on the world around us. To leave a mark, as it were.
There’s something comforting about living a life well-lived. It doesn’t matter if we occupied a prominent position on the world stage. (That doesn’t even appeal to me. If I felt like I was being faithful to my call, then I was perfectly fine in serving in obscurity.)
The worst fear is that I made no difference. Lord knows that isn’t an ego thing. I’d just like to know that, somewhere along the way, I made a difference in someone’s life. A good difference. It’s pretty easy to make a bad difference.
So what’s up with my sudden burst of introspection? Scoot your chair in close, kids. I’ll tell you.
I’ve been in vocational ministry for decades. Most of those years were spent with teenagers. Hundreds, if not 1000+ kids, were a part of a communal journey.
If I simply played numerical odds, then there was at least one of those kids I, by God’s grace, made a difference with.
So here I am today, not serving vocationally in a local church, but serving my denomination and, in a broader and more accurate sense, the Kingdom of God.
What does that even look like? What difference does it make?
I’m not completely sure, but in recent days, weeks, even months, I’ve tried to heed a call.
This blog is part of that. I want what I share to be transformationally encouraging. But I have been feeling for a while there’s more, maybe even much more, for me to do.
I’m about to get real. “Don’t go there,” you say. Well, tough noogies. I’m wanting to make a difference.
It seems like the natural order of things is unraveling before our eyes. I haven’t talked to anyone in my admittedly small circle who think everything is just fine.
It’s a 2020 deal, for sure. I could offer a litany of what’s happened in the last nine months. Foremost, of course, is COVID-19 (which we just found out today President Trump and others in his circle have tested positive for. For those of you who aren’t United States citizens, this may be cause for eye-rolling. Bear with me.)
That pandemic thing? Did any of us believe it’d still be such a huge issue? To my mind, it’s impacted every element of society. I’ve seen plenty of clever memes about 2020, and I embrace that, since humor, even twisted humor, is a defense mechanism for me.
Still, as I’ve stated before, none of us are exempt from the virus’ impact. It has its nasty tendrils into so many areas of our lives. About the time I think we’re turning some significant corner, there’s a vile setback. It is unequivocally wearing us down.
You doing okay? And if you’re cruising along, happy as a tornado in a trailer park, you are so so blessed. I’ll bet you have friends and family who aren’t doing so hot.
Coming back around to my “what difference does it make” statement, I got to wondering – if folks are hurting, and struggling, and asking hard questions to a seemingly silent universe, what are they to do? Specifically, is there anything I, Michael Anthony Martin, can do to be an encourager?
Here are some of the questions I’ve asked – and, again, by God’s grace and His sovereign gifting, some questions I’ve been able to answer:
● What if you didn’t have to struggle with the emotional roller coaster you’re riding?
● What if your feelings – which can drag you all over the landscape – were kept in check, or channeled to make a positive difference?
● What if you could make significant progress toward peace and security in five days?
● What if you learned transformational skills and tactics that not only will take you through these challenges of the pandemic but will also serve you in years to come?
I’ll share more later. God is so good. When the question comes to my mind, “What difference does it make?”, then, by golly, I have identified a difference that can be made.
Stay tuned.
Be blessed.