my deepest thanks

Recently I've heard a lot of people give me compliments. I think the fact that it was my birthday had something to do with it....regardless, they were nice to hear. Most of the time I just say, "Thank you," and don't really believe thay they are being honest and I never ponder them long enough to see if I believe what they are telling me. However, I heard something the other night that I have been pondering. I had a friend start to tell me how thankful they were that I was in their life. It's crazy to think how much God will use you if you just let Him. My friend named all these things that I was "responsible" for. I said, "Thank you," like we all do, but then I sat there and thought about it. I'm not responsible for any of those things. It's hard for me to find things these days and not see God's work in it, however this is something that from the beginning I've known was God's work and I would follow Him wherever it lead. It's lead to learning a lot about myself, a lot about putting others needs before your own, and a lot of great memories that I think will continue. I hope that I'm always as willing to be used by God as much as I have been in this situation. Regardless of the outcomes, I want to be a part of Kingdom work, I want to be useful.

Pondering this compliment also made me think about the people in my life that I am thankful for. There are many. It's fasinating to think about the impact one person can have on your life. I think of family members, teachers, pastors, friends....many have people have contributed to who I am today, and for that I am thankful. I feel humbled to think that God would ever choose to impact anyone's life in the way others have changed mine. I've always had a passion for people and being social. I have a new burden for community. I want to invest fully in the lives of those around me so I can in turn be blessed by their friendships. There are great things to be learned from all people. I hope I'm always willing to be taught from them.