Names from the past

Ever have one of those moments where you start off thinking about one thing and then a few minutes later you realize you have traveled a great distance in your thoughts and not sure how you got there exactly. Happened to me this morning as I was driving into work. I was reflecting on one of the roles I've served in the last several years that I've decided to step out of. My thoughts were swirling around that when a name popped into my head. Not sure how it was connected to what I had been thinking about before, but that lead to me thinking about another person. Before I knew it I had come up with a list of about 50 names. It was a little overwhelming as the names kept coming to my mind as one connection lead to another name who lead to a connection to another person.

Some of the guys I hadn't thought about in years. Some of them I talk to regularly. Some I had the opportunity to be involved with for only a short period, others I got to spend years getting to know. Some inspire me, others make my heart break. When I talk to some of them we pick up like no time has passed between conversations, with others it is awkward. They are spread throughout all walks of life. Some are in college, some are artistic, some are involved in business, some aren't headed anywhere, some are involved in missions, some I've lost track of and don't know what they are doing now. The list of names that flooded my mind this morning are the guys that I've had the privilege to invest in while the were high school students over the last 20 years. Each is unique and I often wondered how we ever connected. (A similar theme runs through most of my friends.) Some are close friends, some I see every couple of years and get to catch up with them, others I haven't talked to in a long while, but regardless of where they are at now, they impacted my life. Yeah, I was the one supposedly investing in their lives, but I am the one it changed. It changed how I love and serve others, it taught me to be more transparent, it taught me loving isn't always easy, it showed me that people can change (sometimes bringing unexpected joy and other times causing gut wrenching sorrow), it has shown me what pursuing Jesus looks like, it has been a wild and unexpected ride.

Maybe the change in thoughts this morning wasn't so random. Maybe it was a gentle reminder that even though some things may be changing, I am still called to invest in others. My life is going to impact others. That is a given. The question is will I do it intentionally and with a purpose or just let it happen. Another given is that you are also impacting others. Maybe not in the same way that I do, but still your life collides with others every day. You have a unique opportunity to make an impact in that other person's life. It may be only for a season or it may be over a lifetime, but it is your chance to invest in something more than yourself. What are you going to do with your opportunities? What will your list of names look like? What stories will you be a part of? It is your choice.