Making a Difference

Day sixteen

I woke up this morning thinking, what difference can I make today?  This morning I have the opportunity to attend church and later this evening to have some fun with the youth, this should provide plenty of opportunities to make a difference.

Now, I have learned a thing or two this week, so I decided to use the Reveal-Prepare-Practice pattern to help me find the opportunities. 

Reveal: I needed to ask the Lord to guide me throughout the day with the ability to recognize the moments.

Prepare:  To have the wisdom to know what to do.

Practice:  To have the courage to follow through.  (Still working on the Fear Not goal!)

As I said my prayers this morning I found myself asking for these blessings, but also asking that I might be a good example to those around me so that I might be able to help them see how much God loves them.  I'm not sure where that came from.  I asked myself, "Was it the Spirit giving me a prompting so quickly?" I would soon find out!

My scripture study was in Sections 104-106.  There was lots of good stuff in these sections, but a single verse in Section 106 would occupy my thoughts for most of the study time. 

106:5 "Therefore, gird up your loins, that you may be the children of light, and that day shall not overtake you as a thief." 

This is the message I got from this verse: 

gird up your loins - Be prepared to jump in and do My work today.

that you may be the children of light - What I do today should reflect what is in my heart: a great love for my Savior and my Father in Heaven, and my love for those around me.  My actions should help those around me see that I am a child of light and that they also are children of light.

and the day shall not overtake you as a thief -  If I do these things then my day will seem to have worth and I will not look back and wonder, "Where did my day go?" and "Did I make a difference today?"

What a great message to receive at the beginning of the day and especially the Sabbath! Today I want to focus on helping others feel God's love and to help them recognize they are children of light.  I know that for me the knowledge of a loving God makes a difference in my life each day.  It affects the way I see myself and others.  It gives me hope when I am feeling hopeless.  It helps me keep things in perspective when I am losing it. I can't think of a greater gift to give someone! 

I am hopeful that I can make a difference today.  I am grateful to the Lord for reminding me of the importance of feeling His love and sharing that knowledge with others. I hope I get the opportunity to make a difference in your life too!