People of Faith

In my previous post, I wrote about the people who had a lasting impact on me.  One of them was my aunt Marina.  If you have children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, or simply have someone in your life who is still on their way to adulthood, this message is for you.

Marina is my mother’s sister.  She reaffirmed all the things my mother taught me, but as a young woman.  Countless hours of her spare time were spent taking long walks with me when I was thirteen, fourteen, fifteen years old and up until I got married at twenty-one.  She told me in different ways and every chance she got that I have a purpose and that the presence of God in my life is the best beauty secret, not clothing trends or the latest make up trick.  I remembered her words through those awkward years in middle and high school.  Those words rang in my head even when I was singled out by a group of girls for bullying because I wasn’t dressed like them and didn’t wear makeup.  I didn’t feel of less worth when girls in school were running around with a new boyfriend every week, but I chose to keep myself pure.  I knew who I was and I knew what I wanted for my future, because someone took the time to speak words of life into me at a young age.

Whether you have children or not, you can find someone to impart purpose into.  Just take a moment to look around and beyond yourself.  It won’t take long to find someone who needs an encouraging word.  Someone needs to hear that they are beautiful and made in the image of God.  Someone needs to hear that they are worth the whole world to someone who loves them.

You might feel like you are still learning about life yourself and don’t feel like you are qualified.  Here’s the not-so-secret little secret: you don’t have to be an expert in life to impact the next generation!  It’s actually very simple!  If you read and believe what the Word of God says about you and His plan for His creation, you have all the knowledge you need to impart meaning, purpose, and vision into children and teens.  Marina has not had children of her own, but that did not keep her from imparting into me. 

The fact is children and teens think anyone who is a few years older than they are and speaks confidently about their identity and purpose, must be an expert.  Here’s another fact, children and teens are searching for identity and purpose.  Their minds and hearts are open and willing to accept whatever is spoken over them.  Sadly, this works both ways. And there is no shortage of those who speak the wrong things into those open minds and hearts.  

I encourage you to be intentional about speaking the truth into those moldable young souls.  You never know whom you will be building up.  Mordecai found that someone, and his investment into an orphaned little girl saved his life one day.  

Esther 2:7 says, “Mordecai had a cousin named Hadassah, whom he had brought up because she had neither father nor mother.  …Mordecai had taken her as his own daughter when her father and mother died.”

This girl was never going to repay Mordecai for raising her and providing for her all those years.  There was seemingly nothing for Mordecai to gain from his sacrifice.  But Mordecai didn’t stop imparting into Esther when she was taken to the king’s palace.  One might think he would be relieved, since he didn’t have to provide for her anymore. Mordecai saw further than that.  He continued to advise her even after she became the queen.

How much of our world would be different today if someone had taken the time to speak the good into children?  How many broken people would not be who they are if someone had taken the time to tell them they were created for greater things, that they are loved, and they belong to the family of God?   Even if you didn’t have a mother or a father to build you up, our true source is our Heavenly Father.  You may have not received this kind of attention and imparting as a child, but that doesn’t mean you can’t start imparting into someone.  If you haven’t done so yet, please take a moment and think whose life you can speak into and pray through.  May God lead you through this rewarding journey as you partner with Him to raise the next generation.