The Influence of Kindness

  When I was in high school, I had a teacher named Mrs. Gilbert. She taught math, which was my least favorite subject, but she quickly became one of my favorite teachers. My favorite thing about Mrs. Gilbert was her kindness. Now, like any high school teacher, you definitely didn't want to cause problems in her classroom, but Mrs. Gilbert was always kind. 

  Even as I graduated from her class, she still always made sure to give a cheery "Hello!" in passing, and supported me in everything I did. With my mission trips, school activities, or even just on the hard days, Mrs. Gilbert was always there. Even when students took higher level math classes, she was always willing to help out whenever she could. Teachers may go their whole lives without realizing or knowing the impact they had on a student, but they shouldn't go unrecognized. In the same way that teachers influence their students, Christians should influence those around them. 

  Whenever I say a prayer, I always end with the same phrase "May everything we do be for Your glory and for Your honor". While it might must seem like something cool to say at the end, this phrase holds a enormous amount of significance in my daily life. I always strive to present myself in such a way that people will say "there's something different about her". I always pray that there's a tangible difference in the way I lead my life, and how others perceive me.

  While it might seem a little hypocritical to write about how I want people to perceive me when I was just talking about letting the Lord be the driving force in your identity, I think there are two parts to this question: what is your identity, and what do you want people to see in you?

  For me, the answer to this question has always been fairly simple: I want others to see and notice a difference in my life, and I want to be able to tell them that the difference is Jesus. 

  While the Lord defines you, it doesn't mean you should completely forget about how others perceive you. Like I said last time, we're called to a higher standard of living. This shouldn't seem daunting, but instead, comforting. The world is a broken place, and we can be the light that everyone needs. 

  Whether she realized it or not, Mrs. Gilbert was influencing me and other students every day. Now that I'm older, I always think about how I'm influencing the people around me. What I post on social media, the clothes I wear, the books I read and the music I listen to; I'm always aware that someone is watching me. 

  When I die, I don't want to be remembered for the money I donated or all the amazing things I accomplished in my lifetime (although, it would be nice to have a statue in my honor somewhere). I want to be known for how I lived my life to the fullest extent, exemplifying God in everything I did. At the end of the day, it's not me that matters; it's the Lord. 

  To some degree, we all know there's someone out there looking up to us, or at the very least, watching what we do. For me, I know I have two younger sisters and I think about the little girls at church; if they thought about me, what would be the first thing that came to mind?

  Above all, I want to be welcoming and kind. I don't want people to be afraid of conversing with me, or thinking that I'll judge them for their actions. I try to be a smiling or friendly face to everyone, and be intentional with the time I spend with others. Everyone knows how good it feels when someone remembers what you told them, so what's stopping you from being that person to someone else?