My first grand baby is “in the oven” right now. Legacy, imprint, and what I leave behind has a renewed and stronger focus for me in 2014. In my recent prayer time, I asked God this question, Before the Bible existed how did you speak to Abraham, Daniel, David, Ruth, and the other men and women in the Old Testament? They didn’t have scripture to ponder and think about daily in the form of a Bible. How different it must have been. They were writing and creating the stories we are now reading in God’s Word. My focused prayer this year is for God to keep my heart, eyes, and ears, fresh and alert so that He can write His story through my life on this earth.
I’ve challenged myself to these two things and I challenge you to them as well.
Look Beyond the Usual
Bring your own unique thoughts, ideas, talents and insights to the table and be bold enough to share them. Don’t copy…. create. Think about taking an opposite path. Be bold and consider avoiding what everyone else does and chooses. When Jesus was recruiting his disciples He told the fishermen to throw their nets to the other side of the boat. He wanted them to think differently when it came to fishing and not just about something to eat each day. What do you see that no one else is paying attention to?
Find Your Audience
When Jesus went to the well in the heat of the day He knew He’d find a woman there who was different. She wasn’t a village elder or leader, but she had significant influence with a group He wanted to reach. Who are you trying to reach? It’s not always who we think it should be. Are you listening to His voice and going where no one else is going? Where is the focused crowd you want to reach right now?
Our stories are being written each day and God is asking us to leave a legacy, make a dent, light the darkness, educate and inspire. Are you in?
Great thoughts. It’s very difficult to actually do the 2 things you’ve suggested, but also very beneficial if you are brave enough to do them. For more than 2 years I’ve been speaking to my industry about a particular aspect, and am about to publish a book on the subject. What I only realized after writing it, was that it is currently the only book in the world, on this particular subject. So, interesting what may result when you do follow through on “seeing what no one else is paying attention to.”
PS: Congrats on the upcoming grandchild – must be exciting becoming a Grandmother at 43.