I was HERE

Have you ever walked into a bathroom of a rest-stop and seen names carved in the metal stall doors telling you that "Jane was Here."  I always thought of that as a tacky way to leave your mark... no one even knows who Jane is, anyways!  Coming back from the lake this weekend, I was able to see traces of these carvings in a few rest-stop stalls.  Well, I may not have been impressed with the carving skills of these individuals, but I guess it all left me to ponder that concept... Leaving your mark.  Who knows where these individuals are now or what they have done with their lives, but they have forever let anyone who uses the third from the left stall at a Chick-fil-a know that, indeed, "Jane was Here."

So, on a bigger scale, I wonder...How am I going to let people know "Kate Joyce was here!" ?  What am I going to do with my life that leaves a mark on people... forever carving a change in some one's life...or many peoples lives!  How am I going to live my life in a way that people will know I WAS HERE!  

Interestingly enough, one of my favorite country groups (Lady Antebellum) recently came out with a song called "I Was Here" which completely explains my point...but with more beauty and grace, of course.  One of my favorite verses says, "I want to do something that matters, say something different-something that sets the whole world on its ear.  I want to do something better with the time I've been given.  And I want to touch a few hearts in this life and leave nothing less then something that says I was here."  Its not the idea or the fact that I want to be known by tons of people or claim any sort of fame for something I have done, its merely the idea that my actions and the way that I live my life would  impact others.  And by the way their lives are changed, I know that I can say, "Kate Joyce Was Here."

I guess I'm just tired of the idea of living a life that is worthy of satisfaction.  No,  I want to live my life filled with passion for the things that I do, and I want to do these things with excellence so that God can use me where and when he wants me and that through God using me, I will have a lasting mark on the world.  Rereading what I just wrote sounds a little silly to me, like I've been bit by the "Go save the world!" bug, but what I'm trying to say is that I don't want to live my life thinking that I'm too small to make a change in this world.  I think that I need to remember that God is a God who uses the ordinary for His extraordinary work no matter how big or small we think that work is.  Fact:  God is God, we are not.  Fact:  ALL things work together for good.  Fact:  God uses us for His Work.  Fact:  God may use us for something that we think is small but we don't know how that fits into the bigger picture.  

Another verse  I really like says, "I know its my destiny to leave more than a trace of myself in this place and I know that I will do more than just pass through this life."  So wherever the Lord has me, whether working as a lifeguard, a waitress, or a missionary I want to remember that those places are where the Lord has me to do His work and I want to carry myself in those places in a way that I will leave a lasting carving that says...

"Kate Joyce was here."