Make a Difference

Make a Difference

     How are you going to make a difference? That question kept coming to mind today as I hiked through the woods.With camera in hand, I started out knowing that the woods would be nearly barren of color. I took a picture here and there, but mostly let my mind wander. What a fabulous place to be on New Year's Eve! The quiet stillness allowed my brain to think and my body to relax. 

     The beginning of a New Year is a great time for reflection. This past year for my family was such a mixture of highs and lows. Foremost was the incredible joy of watching two of my children marrying the love of their lives. Knowing that my children are happy and ready to begin their own lives fills me with a sense of pride. It was definitely God's hand at work as those two weddings were bookends for the summer of flooding. The stress and hardship of that tragic time affected so many. Months of worry, loss, and destruction took its toll. Yet, through it all, God blessed us with great memories that will help to overshadow those bad times. 

    The New Year is also a time for setting goals and making promises. Many people want to lose weight, overcome a bad habit, make more money, or spend time with others. Most of us have made those goals only to abandon them weeks later. This year, I want to make a more conscious decision. I want to make a difference. But how?

     Walking though the woods, I noticed the carpet of leaves and tangle of dead trees and branches. I found myself thinking of a bigger picture. Questions bombarded my mind. 

    Where am I in my life right now? Where do I want to go? Am I among the leaves being stepped on by others? Am I tangled in the branches unable to find my way? Am I part of the tangle, blocking someone else's path?

     Or, am I part of the ground cover warming the earth for new ideas to grow? Am I like the trees standing beside others' paths as they journey along?

     I found myself noticing the green moss growing on trees and rocks. The bright color beckoning amid the drab winter browns and grays. While I snapped pictures, I wondered, is it possible to be the moss growing steadfast and strong in our world today? Where is my path going to take me now?

     In 2020, as my teaching career comes to an end, I hope that along the way I have influenced a child, a parent, or a colleague to be their best, help others, or be someone who makes a difference.

As the new year begins, I ponder what I will do as one journey ends and another begins? Will my love for words and pictures help me to make a difference? Where will this new path take me? Or does God have a completely different plan in mind?

     More questions than answers on this beautiful day wandering in the woods, but the calm has at least relaxed my soul. I hope to face each day and notice the blessings given to me. I plan to make a difference in the lives of others, and pray that I can be like the moss, steadfast and strong as I face challenges and decisions yet to come.

     May your goals and promises this New Year lead you to make a difference for yourself and others. Be the color that stands out among the drab, and stay steadfast and strong in your own journey!