Make a Difference

I have always wanted to make a difference. I want to know that the things I do make an impact and, hopefully, make a difference in someone’s life even for a moment. I think most people feel this way. Must be something God designed into all of us. The problem is not with the desire but the how. How does someone make difference and have an impact on the people and the world around them? I used to think I could make a difference by working harder and trying to get ahead. I think a lot of people fall into this kind of thinking. Possessions, job titles and the size of your bank account become ways of measuring the difference you are making. But no matter how well I did at work, or how many toys I could afford, I never felt like my life was having the impact that it should. Through a series of encounters with God I realized that He was the only person who could really make a difference in people’s lives, the kind of difference that brings hope, peace and life. That’s what this trip is all about. Being involved in what God is doing to make a difference in the lives of people in Kenya. I get asked by people all the time, “Why do you like going to Kenya?” There are many reasons I get excited about going to Kenya. When we are way outside our comfort zones and all our security blankets are thousands of miles away, we have to rely on God in a whole new way. When I come back and everything seems familiar I only have to think of the experiences I had on the trip to realize that the same God I rely on in Kenya is helping me here. The people in Kenya are open, accepting and seem to love everyone they meet and do everything they can to make sure you feel loved. Who wouldn’t be excited about that kind of acceptance? But the biggest reason I get excited about going to Kenya is that I get to be part of what God is doing to make a difference in the lives of people. Not just the people of Kenya but the people who go on the trip, the people who support the trip, the people of Living Hope Church – by going on the trip we have a chance to be part of what God is doing in all their lives. I also get excited about what God will do in my life. Every time we encounter God and take part in the work He has planned for us he will make a difference in us.
So, whether you are going on the trip, supporting someone who is going or just following along be prepared to make a difference because God will make a difference in you.