Moments Of Impact
What you do in life matters and has a chain effect on everything. This is true with all things positive. In fact, studies show the impact of a positive mind and its life changing effects. Unfortunately, we typically hear about the negatives impacts; distraction, distruction, harm, sadness….Negative impacts usually makes the most noise. That thundering drama echos or is more capturing while something positive usually is responded to as a ‘same old same old’ thought process.
Recently I heard the question “how do you think that the saints will be identified today?” With social media in your face and the ability to find any kind of information about someone, how do you think that will impact what how we interpret someone in need of being canonized in this day in age.
As someone who is FAR from saintly status, I for one strive to create as many moments of positive impact as I can, knowing full well that most are never seen. And…. I like it that way. Every once in a while, as I struggle. The Lord grants me a moment where I can see these glimpses of His works through me and my business. I will never take the credit, it’s not mine to achieve. However, I find that these stories and moments are more of a gift to my heart than anything. What they remind me of is…
His glory!
His presence!
His love!
His mercy!
No matter what you are currently suffering through.
With the world moving faster than ever intended and our ability to grasp information at our fingertips, I continue to contemplate the makings of a saint and the works in which they do. I think of the saints that are my friends and the saints that I cannot relate to. (Their holiness is so beautiful it’s almost blinding for my mind to comprehend). But even the ones I cannot relate to, I still strive to understand what got them to that goal of Heaven that each of us are striving towards.
Today as I sit and pray my heart beckons with the words: His Works. The saints are merely built of such a relationship with Christ that He in return would share His glory by using them as the vessel to distribute such works. Acts of unfailing love, mercy and hope boasted from these saints in the most unique of ways. Individualized by their own personal strengths, personalities, and talents. But it wasn’t just who they are and how they did things… it was the openness of their heart to allow the Lord to work through them in any situation at any given time. It was a way in which God chose to impact His people; His children.
Often, I see fruitful and wonderful people that share God’s goodness in their own unique ways. Art, scripture, volunteering, donating, or simply lending a listening ear to those that desire to be heard. Whatever it is, it IS the works of the Lord. It is HIM present in that moment to serve you. It’s because He desires you and desires to bring your heart back to His protecting hands. How I see it, since God is all knowing, He also knows the ways in which will impact you the most.
This impact I keep speaking of can come in all kinds of forms and ways as I have previously described. But for years it has been the desire of my heart to allow God to work through B*B however He sees fit. I leave it completely open to Him. Through the years I have seen some of the most beautiful miracles occur. Families grow that thought they would never have children, people surviving vigorous cancers, marriages start and homes being built. All things that bring such joy to many lives. While simultaneously I see people pass away, suffer, go through traumatic experiences, and experience the pains of loss and grief.
How can God be present in both? And when the saints experienced such extreme joy and deep sorrow, how did they respond?
They allowed the WORKS OF THE LORD.
When you think about it, simply being alive is a miracle. Breathing in air, what a gift! And God used just that to give purpose to even the simplest of moments and items: in my case, blankets.
I might be the one that is making these blankets, but it is the Lord that desires to bring fulfillment through such an item. Blankets offer comfort, but He can give safety with His arms around you. Blankets offer rest, but He offers you an additional peace. Blankets offer beauty, but He is reminding you who was created in His image and for that you are good.
Trust me the impact goes both ways. I can find myself tempted with the mundane and lackluster. I love to create these blankets but with chaos of life, or sometimes a lull of orders I question God’s call and desire for B*B: for me. I might be making these blankets, but am I really allowing the Lord to work through these blankets? Every time I fall in this disbelief that my mission is real or alive, God grants me a gift to remind me of His works through me. Or how I see it, His works through others and their interactions with me and B*B. This is without fail, a gift, each and every time. Might I remind you, I am nowhere near Saint status and fall to my own temptations as well.
Recently, I was feeling overwhelmed by my todo list, money and the anxieties of life. Temptation to give up on B*B rose in my heart as I was blind to the path the Lord desired for it. Out of the blue, I was sent a story from a past customer. A few years ago he had ordered a blanket as a gift for his wife. As per usual I got the intentions, created the design based on what he wanted, made the blanket with those special intentions and sent the custom ordered blanket to them. As I made the blanket I called upon the protection of Mary as I built a boarder into the blanket to secure her love, prayers and motherly protection for this couple.
Little did I know what this family was to endure a few years later. Last year, the wife was in an accident where she was pinned between two cars. By complete miracle nothing was broken however this incident resulted in the development of a large hematoma that is still an ongoing recovery. They told me that their blanket remained on their bed as a beautiful item of decor, but when the accident occurred traditional bedding created pain and discomfort offering little to no rest and peace. The only blanket she could sleep or rest with, was the one I had made for this couple.
The husband explained that her recovery had been very slow, however, entirely miraculous!! Together they attributed her recovery not only to the physical blanket and the physical comfort that it offered but the works of the Lord and Mary’s healing intercession that worked through this blanket.
“for nothing will be impossible for God.” – Luke 1:37
Talk about a story of impact. I felt every word to my very core. While I had no words in response the Lord filled my heart with His divine gentle voice. Not only did He grant me the encouragement to continue moving forward amongst some serious unknowns but the promise that His works will remain great.
HIS WORKS WILL REMAIN GREAT.
Think of a collision. There is a rippling effect on both sides of the crash. There is an instigator, and a receiver. Usually these moments are entirely unexpected. That is exactly how I see the Lord continuing to work in this world. Unexpected, unexplainable miracles that He desires that can only come from your willingness to allow Him to work through you. At times it might seem as though He is not present, but what I’ve learned through the years is that the Lord can create any kind of light in the darkest of moments. He can create good out of the simple, and mundane items and little ways of life. He is present, alive and desires YOU. We have saints alive and walking the path to Heaven along with us today. Their impact and yours is what it takes to spread God’s love and immensity throughout all the populations of the earth. The question remains, is your heart open enough to allow Him to work through you?
So even in the small, or simplest of tasks, I highly encourage you to allow the Lord to work through you today. Open your heart to the possibilities of His miracles, His joys and His hopes. What may appear simple on the surface, like a blanket, might steeply dive into the journey to sainthood to which we are all called. That divine relationship with Christ, our loving God. So if you were to be canonized as a saint in this day and age, what are you going to be known for?