I regularly received motivational or spiritually related material from people. Some in the form of books, and others by email. This email changed my life and has made me 1000 time richer. It can do the same for you.
“Who We are Makes a Difference”
A New York teacher decided to honor each of her seniors in high school by telling them the difference they make. She called each student to the front of the class, one at a time. First she told them how they had made a difference to her and to the class. The she presented them with a blue ribbon imprinted with gold letters, which read, “Who I am Makes a Difference.”
Afterwards, the teacher decided to do a class project to see what kind of impact recognition would have on the community. She gave each student three more ribbons and instructed them to go out and spread this acknowledgement ceremony, then they were to follow up on the results to see who honored whom and report back to the class in a week.
One of the boys in the class went to a junior executive in a nearby company and honored him for helping him in his career planning. He gave him a blue ribbon and put it on his shirt. Then he gave him two extra ribbons and said, “We are doing a class project on recognition and we would like you to go out to find somebody to honor. Give them the blue ribbon, then give them the extra blue ribbon so that they can acknowledge a third person to keep this acknowledgement ceremony going, then report back to me, please, and tell me what happened.
Later that day the junior executive went in to see his boss, who had been noted, by the way, a being kind of a grouchy fellow. He sat his boss down and told him that he deeply admired him for being a creative genius. The boss seemed surprised.
The junior executive asked him if he would accept the gift of the blue ribbon and would he give him permission to place it on his jacket. His surprised boss said, “Well, sure.” The junior executive to the blue ribbon and placed it on his boss’s jacket right above his heart. As he gave him the last extra ribbon, he asked, “Would you do me a favor?” “Would you take this extra ribbon and pass it on by honoring somebody else?” The young boy who first gave me the ribbons is doing a project in school and we want to keep this recognition ceremony going to find out how it affects people.”
That night, the boss came home to his 14 year old son and sat him down. He told him, “The most incredible thing happened to me today. I was in my office and one of the junior executives came in and told me he admired me and gave me a blue ribbon for being a creative genius. Imagine. He thinks I am a creative genius. Then he put this ribbon on my jacket above my heart that says, ‘Who I am Makes a Difference.’ He also gave me an extra ribbon and asked me to find somebody else that I could honor. As I was driving home tonight, I started thinking about whom I could honor with this ribbon and I thought about you. I want to honor you. My days are really hectic and when I come home I don’t pay a lot of attention to you. Sometime I scream at you for not getting good enough grades in school and for your bedroom being a mess, but home how tonight, I just wanted to sit here and well, just let you know that you do make a difference to me. Besides your mother, you are the most important person in my life. You are a great kid and I love you!”
The startled boy started to sob and sob. He couldn’t stop crying. His whole body shook. He looked at his father and said through his tears, “Dad, earlier tonight, I sat in my room and wrote a letter to you and mom explaining why I had killed myself and asking you to forgive me. I was going to commit suicide tonight after you were asleep. I just didn’t think you cared at all. The letter is upstairs, but I don’t think I will need it after all.” His father walked upstairs and found the heartfelt letter full of anguish and pain. The envelope was addressed, “Mom and Dad.”
The boss went back to work a changed man. He was no longer a grouch and he made sure to let all of his employees know that they “Make a Difference.” The junior executive helped several other young people with career planning and never forgot to let them know that they make a difference in his life…One being the boss’s son. And the young boy and his classmates learned a valuable lesson. Who you are DOES make a difference!
– Author Unknown
“And some having compassion making a difference.”
Jude 22:22
Great story!
We never know who we affect by being kind instead of right, being compassionate instead of apathetic, and loving instead of judging.
The truth is we don’t need to know.
Our flesh wants a self-imposed pat on the back when we do good.
Our spirit, our true identity, says we don’t need to know.
When we walk in the spirit, we do because that’s who we are.
Staying 💪’n Christ,
Doc