https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ALSuZ2Sg0W0
This story is about a young girl who gets a letter in the mail from a stranger and the letter intrigues her so much that she searches for its author and therein finds someone that encourages her and develops her in a way that no other person had yet done. She had had family and friends, as well as hurts and some negative personality traits but she was just a teenager trying to make her way through the world, messing up a bit here and there and not quite sure of herself....and this stranger helps her out. I won't say too much more but I recommending giving it viewing if you can :)
It got me thinking though...Everyone wants to make a difference in this world in some way and everyone wants to be recognised and valued. We're human beings and usually if we're seeking to be invisible its because the cruelty of the world has caused us to put so much of ourselves into hiding that there we are raw and the world HURTS. But essentially we all want to be loved and we all want to love, we all want to help and be helped...we're all human, we're all not perfect. But back to my point, we all want to make a difference. The thing is, so often we think that we gotta be in the spotlight to make that difference. Be on stage singing an amazing song that brings people to tears, or writing a book that people can't put down or defending the poor from injustice be it as a health worker a social worker a lawyer or an economist! There are so many things that we elevate in society as being "worthy" and "helpful" and "good" and we strive to be those elevated people....but at the end of the day...sometimes if we make a difference in just ONE PERSON we can make a difference in the world.
See if you're raising a child and you make a difference to your child, how do you know you're child won't become prime minister, or a doctor and save other lives? How do you know they won't save the life of another individual somewhere that in turn that will find a cure for eating disorders or a cancer? Then in the middle of the spectrum is if you're a friend....or what if just to a stranger, how do you know that by smiling at someone and just saying, "Hey you matter to me" That you didn't stop them from committing suicide (something you may never know but still happened never the less) and by stopping that you can stop untold ripple effects of tragedy.....so many things....positive and negative from making a difference in just one life. And if we make a difference in just one life in one day, imagine the impact that we can make in one life EACH AND EVERY DAY? Wow! Doesn't it start to blow your mind! AND IF we all did this, not only would we bless other people but we would start to find that we too would be blessed in return, not necessarily by the same people but by others. By this, I'm not talking about karma, I'm just talking about life in general.
One of the things that happens in the film is that the older gentleman talks about finding your true gift and using that, for him he writes notes and gives them to people he does not know as for him writing is something he is gifted in....This leads Maggie to find her own gift (which incidentally is not writing letters) and resolves relationships as well as helping her grow up and be more of the person she wants to be. It doesn't mean she's shielded from pain and suffering, if anything her heart is more open to it but she is also more able to deal with it. One man wrote to one girl and made a difference...that girl then turned around and made a difference in her world. We can be like that, we just need to find our gifts and not be afraid to use them.
Some people have gifts in words, music, mathematics, languages, caring, giving, finances, organising, cookery, problem solving, leadership, compassion, grace, encouragement, and in one case, even a gift of blood has made a difference and I"d like to share a real story...
A friend of mine went to Haiti over a year ago and while she was there met a young girl named Alaine. Alaine was expected to die and was denied blood by the Red Cross. Even though blood supply is low in Australia, it is absolutely dire in developing countries like Haiti. In spite of my friends own situation she gave of her own blood and Alaine lived. This was from first to love been a miracle of love, one that we all attribute to the grace of God but it is a gift and it's been the gifts of many that have come together to form Operation Love Alaine that has seen to food and money and water and other essential items being sent to Alaine, her little brother and her mother (who had lost 17 babies before Alaine!) to try and keep her well. The impact of loving ONE child has made an impact on other people, both in Western nations like Australia and the US through financial and prayer support and also to Alaine and her family and eventually to their town of Cazale. (Please note: Alaine is currently very ill and all prayers would be very welcome for her recovery and information as to her current situation)....if you'd like to support the cause of Operation Love Alaine or simply to get updates, please follow along on Facebook at Operation Love Alaine
So if you think that you cannot make a difference, I'm here to tell you that you can. You can always make a difference to at least one person and that one person will make a difference to at least one person.... The best way to do it is to find your talent and work with that, but don't stress too much about getting it right, just trust that talents are "gifts" and they are GIVEN and they are given at the right time if we trust. You are not a hopeless case, no matter what is going on for you, you can make a difference and the difference in even one life cannot be underestimated.
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