Random dudes, doing amazing things

As I was reading my Bible this morning, I noticed some papers fell out of my Bible. I apparently use books to hold papers from college and other ministry related things. I also had letters from two students I had when I taught. Quick back story, I taught Bible classes for 2 years in the Philippines at an International school. In these 2 years, I was able to get to know some kids pretty well. This is why I got letters.

I was reading through the letters. There was one that was simple, calling me there favorite teacher (which I still not sure why). The one that sticks out to me the most is from a young Korean boy. I will refrain from using his name. It is something that is very dear to me. It was nothing profound but it made me feel like at the end of the day, I may have connected with a student and impacted their life.

Connecting with others... while making an impact.

I had a conversation with someone this past week. Someone asked me what I think is important when believing in Jesus. My response was relationships.

I responded this way because it goes both ways. We need to have a relationship with Christ in order to have good relationships with others. It's the way I believe we can make a positive impact in others lives. This is not to say, someone who doesn't believe in God can't make an impact. This is just to say, that as a Christian, to make an impact is being connected to Christ.

The times I most feel I made the most impact and vice versa, is when Christ is at the center. The reason I say this, is because it is nothing that I am doing, but what Christ is doing through me. It's not this Korean boy (who made a major impact in myself) but Christ. God molds us to the situations he wants people to grow. 

He's the hero Gotham deserves...

God uses people to make an impact. To me that's a crazy idea. He uses us for His purposes, to make things happen. 

He used a random people to make the biggest impacts. He used a random old guy to build a nation. He found a shepherd boy, and made him apart of a Saviors kingly family line. He used a killer to spread his word to Gentile believers.

God uses the most random people to impact the world. I have a friend named Gary who felt called to plant a church in Bristol, PA. While planting this church, through lots of prayer and action, Bristol was kind of given second wind. This is not to say he was the only one to do this, but he was a part of a bigger movement. God used him to get others to love Bristol. Through that love, changes happened.

We live in a world that is often discouraging. It will beat us down. We wonder if we have purpose. Christ gives us purpose. We often don't see what we do in peoples lives. We often have these dreams of bigger things. Yet it's the small victories that lead to the larger picture. I thought as a teacher, I'd see a bunch of kids coming to Christ. It didn't happen.Yet when I read these cards, I realized, I planted a seed in a kids life. That I impacted him in a way, he will remember. It probably wasn't my teaching but the relationship I had with him. The same goes with my friend Gary. He worked on relationships with others to see growth. 

God uses us. That's incredible. He chooses to use people to make his plans come to fruition. We should take that to heart. God love is so great, that he chose flawed people to make an impact. We should celebrate in that fact!