Leaving a Mark
I normally listen to worship and contemporary Christian music, but occasionally I will find a good country song to add to my IPOD. I grew up in the country and our extended family get-togethers would include country and bluegrass music played by my uncle, cousins, and other family members. We live in the suburbs now, but I agree with the saying that, "You can take the girl out of the country, but you can't take the country out of the girl."
Many country songs tell stories about true life and one of the songs I like is "Tattoos on This Town" by Jason Aldean. The song is about how, as young people, he and his friends made their mark on the little country town where they grew up. He sings of black marks on the country road where they drag raced their pickups and Mustangs. He tells of how there was still a rope burn on the tree branch where they used to swing out over the river as well as other ways they left their mark. The chorus says, "We sure left our mark on it. We let the world know we were here and everything we did. We laid a lot of memories down, like tattoos on this town."
This song came to mind recently at the XPloreNations Bible School end of the year Honor Banquet. The President of the College, Russ Adams, made a statement I don't think I will ever forget and I certainly don't want to. "I don't want my mark on this world to be a tombstone." Wow! That is such a powerful statement!
We will all die unless Jesus returns first. What are we leaving behind? What will be our mark? How will people in years to come know we were here? It's not about making a name for ourselves; it's about making a difference in other people's lives. We all have things we must do that are just a part of life, but beyond those things, what are we doing to leave a mark on the lives of those around us and on this earth that is so desperately in need?
We all have a realm of influence. Some are in a position to impact many while some can only influence a few. Either way, it matters! We never know if touching one life can, in turn, impact many. We can say or do things that can change the lives of those around us. Even if we influence one person, that person's life can be forever changed.
Many of us can look back and easily name those who have marked us - those whose influence stays with us to this day. What is it that is different about them? How were they able to impact our lives? Most likely they are focused on others and not on themselves. They encourage and challenge us by their actions and words. They are caring, giving, and kind. As the saying goes, "People will not care how much we know until they know how much we care." Let's choose to leave a lasting mark on this world and on the people God has placed in our realm of influence.
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