Creating Change

Lately, I have had a few people tell me things like "I don't know how you go to Africa. It's great work that you do, but I could never do that" and "I wish I had the guts to do something like what you're doing." Now, I wholeheartedly feel led to go to Africa and will gladly continue to go as long as God provides the opportunities and allows plans to develop and work, but I know that isn't for everyone. Here's the thing, as More Than Me's founder, Katie, said in the video I featured in the post Awesome Video Clip!, not everyone can go to Liberia but you can live for something bigger than yourself, no matter where you are. 

Each of us has different talents, different levels of comfort, and different places in which we flourish. Sometimes it talks some self-exploration to figure out what those things are. Give stuff a shot, try something new; trial and error is always a good method to see what works for you. Pray and ask God to show you where He is leading you to serve. Life is not just about ourselves, and in some countries, especially America, we can be very "me" centered. Think of how awesome our world would be if everyone gave more than they took, helped more than they asked, and thought of others more than they thought of themselves.

Start small. Make changes in your everyday life. I love a quote I saw recently that said "small acts, when multiplied by millions of people, can transform the world." Maybe it starts with you and spreads to people you may never come into contact with. Think of the ripple effect. One of my favorite commercials shows exactly what I mean...

When you want to do something bigger, look into the organizations in your community. If you like to build or want to do something hands on, check out Habitat for Humanity. If you enjoy talking with people and building relationships, visit your local nursing home. If you want to mentor a child and help them grow up well, look into Big Brothers/Big Sisters. There are a myriad of places and things you can do, you just have to look for them.

Great change can happen. It starts within each one of us.