Isn't it amazing how something you see, hear, or experience as a child can be imprinted on your heart and mind? A lasting mark, a memory, a feeling. A sensory experience. There are a myriad of ways this can manifest in a negative fashion, but I'm so not interested in those today. I'm talking about positive, wholesome things, God given lessons we carry through life after embracing them with sweet, childlike innocence.
I was thinking about this today while jogging. My mind always seems to be swirling with thoughts and feelings, most of them in a muted muddle, floating around somewhere in the background. Sometimes as a thought flies by, it'll pop to the forefront and I'll analyze it for awhile. Have you ever been doing something, possibly a normal activity or outing, and for just a moment a feeling of nostalgia wells up within you, bringing you back to something in the past that relates to the now, to this very moment? It's usually not strong enough to overcome or distract you, but it's there. This happens on a daily basis for me, yet usually still in the back of my mind as I race through my routine, always busy and on to the next thing. I often don't realize that I am remembering things from my childhood or even from last week, until I have time for a reflective moment (let's be honest, how often do I really have time anymore?) and find myself thinking, "Where did THAT memory come from?!" 99% of the time I am convinced it is the Holy Spirit giving me pause. A moment of encouragement when I especially need it.
Case en point. I realized today as I jogged that every time I push myself to run another step, I think back to a woman who used to run in the park near my house as a child. At age 12 or so, I was up early in the morning every day, walking my beloved yellow Lab (Peaches Ann Cream the Fifth -best Yellow Lab name ever). I would walk to Mabury Park (on Mabury and Fruit, if anyone reading this remembers that park! I loved it - great walking spot) and it was rare not to see this woman; she ran every day, back and forth along the path. There was something odd about the way she ran, as if she had an injury or disability and her legs didn't operate correctly. I'll admit, she scared me a bit as a kid. Her movements were jerky and odd, and it looked like she might be in pain. I couldn't figure out why. I'll never forget her though, because she never gave up. She always looked exhausted, like she was at the brink of collapsing, but she kept going. She was always there, a regular piece of the morning park puzzle. I don't remember ever seeing her stop and sit down or even slow down to a walk. To this day, I find myself thinking...
If she can do it, so can I.
What an impression she made on me. She probably would never think that her morning jog would be noticed, or perhaps she didn't want it to be. I never even talked to her or learned her name. All the same, if she can do it, so can I. I'm sure we've all been through a time or a moment where we wonder if we are making a difference. If people will ever notice our efforts. If it's really worth it.
It is.
So when you feel like giving up, not putting forth the effort, letting it slide, letting someone else do it, not taking the next step.... Don't give up. Don't give in. The Lord has a plan, and somehow, you are part of it. In the immortal words of Jason Nesmith on Galaxy Quest, "Never give up, never surrender!" You're jealous of the nerd I am, I know.
What you do makes a difference, even if you never see the results. Ask Abraham (well, figuratively ask him. If you physically talk to Abraham, we may have a problem.) - God told him that He made him the father of many nations (Genesis 17:5) when he had a barren wife and no children. He had to wait till he was 100 years old before he had his first child (Genesis 21:5). And he died before even saw the Promised Land or the many nations that came from him.
So, be encouraged. The Lord could use your seemingly unnoticed and inconsequential struggle to make a lifelong impression on a heart desperately in need of encouragement or hope. Maybe you'll impact crowds of people. I pray that my little Audrey will go through life learning from experiences of her own, embracing them and using them for good for the rest of her life!
