When I was in high school and early college, there was a group of people five to ten years older than me that I looked up to in my home church. And, a handful of people from that group really became something of mentors to me. They served as leaders in my youth group and choir, teachers/directors in my Sunday School class, and chaperones on our trips. For whatever reason, they chose to give up some of their own freedoms to serve our younger group with their time and talents.
Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity. {1 Timothy 4:12}
This group of people lived out that verse. They modeled deep-spirited friendship. They showed me what to hope for in a marriage. They taught me what it means to serve. They demonstrated how to lead other people by walking alongside us with wisdom but also with humor and humility. Without any coercion, they befriended and invested in us.
I grew to love them. And, I wanted to be like them when I “grew up.”
Last night I went to the funeral of one of the very best of those people. The crowd itself was evidence of the impact she had on countless others. My favorite memory of her is from my freshman year of high school. She was one of the leaders of the mission trip we were on in Miami assisting in Hurricane Andrew relief work. Since I was the smallest {and weakest} member of our group, I got assigned the job of climbing on top of the Red Cross tents to patch holes in them. Always an encourager and trying to boost the spirits of a shy freshman, this friend chanted that day and throughout the rest of the week, “You’re tough as nails, Hollie! Tough as nails!” Turns out, she had it all backwards. She was tough as nails. And, apparently, she spent her whole life investing in relationships and encouraging everyone she met with her exuberance for life, even throughout a years-long battle with cancer. She never pitied herself or retreated from living life to the fullest. She just kept smiling, pushing onward, inspiring others, and pointing people in the direction of the Lord with her spirit. She made the most of her dash and then some.
I may be 38, but I still want to be like her when I grow up.
I’m reminded this week of how important it is to be a good investor. And, I’m not talking about money, IRA’s, or stocks. I’m talking about the investments I make ~ we make ~ with our lives.
If I’m being honest, I’m often not content with the idea that my life might have only local, relational impact. It’s as if the technology that surrounds us and allows us to feel somewhat omnipresent as we keep up with people from here to the other side of the world has made us forget that we are finite creatures created for a limited number of relationships. Sometimes I lose sight of the person sitting next to me in the car or at the dinner table because I’m more interested in the virtual or vicarious experience I’m having on my phone. And, without even knowing it’s happening, I become discontented or bored with the activities and opportunities around me as I imagine all the exciting or seemingly more important things I could or should be working toward. I’m overstimulated by possibility and underwhelmed by reality.
It’s not a profound revelation, but sometimes I have to remind myself that there is nothing more important than the people God has placed alongside each of us. The people living and breathing in real time and space around me. The years we spend getting an education or parenting young children or taking care of a loved one or battling an illness… these aren’t less significant years destined only to be sandwiched between decades of more meaningful work. They’re part of our story, chock-full of days and hours and minutes that matter.
The everyday realities and responsiblities of our existence may feel far less grandiose or world-changing than what we had imagined for ourselves. Laundry, dishes, diaper changing, carpooling, lesson planning, dog walking, garden-tending, doctor-visiting, bedtime story-reading, note writing, porch sitting, etc.
But, the kingdom of God has never looked much like the earthly kingdoms of our imaginations. It’s not all about podiums, platforms, or position. It’s as much about the conversations and connections that make up the 1440 minutes of our most seemingly mundane days.
The friend we celebrated last night had a way of making whoever was around her at the moment feel important. Rather than being a “Here I am!” person, she was a “There you are!” person. She was an investor. And, I am certain her investments yielded the best kind of returns. Her story doesn’t end with her death. It will live on in the lives of the many, many people she touched… forever.
Nothing I do today may seem very significant at a glance. I’m pretty sure the highlight will be attending a preschool dance class. But, every person I encounter today {whether that be one of my own children or a stranger at the grocery store} is an opportunity to smile, to listen, to encourage, and to invest in something bigger than myself.
I’m thankful for a handful of mentors who ushered me into adulthood with a vision for who and what I want to be like when I grow up. And, I’m so glad to have met a master investor and a true hero among us along the way.
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