In Randy Travis’s hit song “Faith in You” he poses a question that has little to do with the rest of the song, but everything to do with you and me.
The nexus with you and me, however, is not as much about the answer to Travis’ question as it is about what else the question begs.
The question in question: “Have I made a difference in anybody’s life since I’ve been here?”
For you and me, the short answer, of course, is “yes.” No matter what we do or don’t do, we make a difference in others’ lives. Intended or not. By action or inaction. Over time or in an instant.
But that’s far from the end of Travis’s intended inquiry. What difference? How much of a difference? Upon whom have we made a difference? Will our impact last? Can we undo what we’ve done?
Have you ever deliberated those more meaningful questions about the indelible impressions you have made and continue to make in so many lives? In the lives of your children, the people you supervise or your clients.
Don’t misunderstand me; this accounting isn’t about you. It’s about others. It’s about the future.
It’s about purpose, and cause and effect.
Let’s start with the undeniable truth that what we do matters. And what we don’t do matters. Our own makeup is proof of that.
We are a mosaic of our past. A collection of pieces placed by others.
Clay shaped by countless hands. A painting colored by time. Times we remember, and ones we can’t forget.
Words said to us decades ago still echo in our conscience. Deeds done to us yesterday direct our steps today. Even when the horizon of our lives comes into view, we are guided by our past. But just as others have impacted us, so have we influenced others.
Another axiom: the depth of our impact is almost always inversely related to age. The younger the soul, the wider the brush stroke.
We struggle to recall what we had for breakfast yesterday, but there are acts and words from our childhood we will never forget. It’s as if they happened this morning. Fresh clay is the easiest to mold. And the most impressionable.
What part of you will be found in the children in your wake?
Less certain is whether words or deeds make a greater difference. Think about what has lived in you the longest. Words of inspiration, or words of hate? An act of kindness, or an act of animus?
A single act can fell a life, just as a book can redirect one. A series of acts can save a relationship, and a single word can end one.
The better question is whether inaction or words withheld have a greater impact than those breathed.
We can all recall acts of omission and regrettable silence that have made a difference. Times when time stood still.
Second chances are often elusive and sometimes unavailable. Opportunity lost is usually lost forever. We are reminded time moves in only one direction.
Is there someone you need to touch? A step you ought to take for someone else’s sake?
Another question is whether we can undo what we’ve done or haven’t done. The answer is yes, and no.
Grace will provide for the former. Regret will record the latter.
The only certainty of rewriting history is that it will take time, the way erasing takes more time than a pen stroke.
It can be both humbling and sobering to think about what we have said or done that has colored the life of another in ways we can see and in ways we will never know, for better or for worse.
Be mindful of the pieces you are placing.
Speak thoughtfully. Act intentionally. Paint beautifully. You are making a difference.