To Leave Our Mark
by Sharon Reidenbach
Ever think to leave a ‘mark’ on society we’d have to
become a doctor, professor, statesman, an Olympian, or a CEO? Then
found life, other people, or circumstances had distracted us from our
goal? We resigned ourselves into believing our chance of making a
difference had slipped us by. But God sees our worthiness differently.
He uses the simple things in life, like the glorious Day Lily, to
teach us a larger lesson.
For one day these magnificent lilies pierce the sky from
sun rise to sun set to reveal vibrant, elongated flowers: leaving
their ‘mark’ before they start to fade. That’s it! God says in
Matthew 6:29, “Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his
splendor was dressed like one of these.” [Lilies] (NIV)
Does this mean once our time has come and gone our life is over? By no
means. The greenery of the lily continues, the plant will bloom again
next year and we are continually useful. We may never know how a word
timely spoken, or a thoughtful action changes someone’s life.
Scripture is full of those who made a difference at a
specific time: Simon, a Cyrene, who carried the cross of Jesus
(Matthew 27:32): the boy with five loaves and two fish that Jesus
blessed and fed five thousand (Matthew 14:17): and the un-named man
who willingly gave up his donkey and its colt for Jesus to ride on
when He entered Jerusalem. (Matthew 21: 1-7)
And the greatest example of all is Jesus. He owned no
wheat fields or fisheries, and walked on dusty roads instead of
beautiful carpets. He wrote no books, or founded schools. His mother,
Mary, and His earthly father, Joseph, were not famous. Yet, His ‘mark’
to make a difference not only pierced the garden, but our lives
forever.
These individuals were not required to have the right job,
or credentials to be used by God. Prior to verse 29, Matthew states in
6:28: “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the
field grow? They do not labor or spin.” These beauties do what God
intended them to do: bloom to shout His praises! In these two verses,
Matthew 6: 28-29, our Lord isn’t discussing the merits of gardening
with the ladies. He’s challenging all of us, men and women, to have
the faith to courageously step out and trust His plan for our life.
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to
prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
Jeremiah 29:11
God never asked us to understand the circumstances we
find ourselves in. The mysterious plan, that even King Solomon’s
riches couldn’t equal, reminds us to stop worrying, and lamenting on
what could have been. And accept by faith that we can, in any place, in any
situation make a difference. And nothing will erase our ‘mark’ we
leave, that brings God glory. To Leave Our
‘Mark’
Takes Courage
by Sharon Reidenbach
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