Every Life Matters

Recently, while doing some research for my boss, I came across a quote by Rob Wegner, in Outreach Magazine, that really struck a chord in me.

“Every believer carries within them the potential for world transformation.”

I agree with this and would take it a step further to say, “every person.” Honestly, some of the people who have transformed me the most haven’t been believers at all. Also, I believe that God isn’t limited or inhibited about who He can use to change the world. He can and does use anyone and everyone. And that’s meant to include you and me.

But the main point I took away from Wegner is that each of us can be used to change the world. It’s really a question of “want to.” Do I want to be used to change the world? Or am I content to let the world change around me and possibly, without me?

I had this whole conversation already rolling around in my head when I opened our new book, “Kisses from Katie.” And from page one, I found that I wasn’t the only one thinking about this. In the Foreword, Beth Clark makes two statements about Katie that I wish could be said about me—that I hope can someday be said about me:

• “People who really want to make a difference in the world usually do it, in one way or another. And I’ve noticed something about people who make a difference in the world: They hold the unshakable conviction that individuals are extremely important, that every life matters.”
• “I realized that there are no statistics in Katie’s world. There are only people, and every life matters.”

This morning, I was talking to a friend about how to raise your children to respect other people—especially ones who are different from them. I have no children, myself. But I remember growing up with a schoolteacher for my Mom. I remember how she respected every one of her students in our tri-racial (black, white, Native American) school. I remember how nothing made her angrier than students disrespecting one another. And I remember how she went out of her way to make each student feel special and unique instead of foreign and awkward. She celebrated their differences and taught us how to embrace others for how they are different, instead of judging them and condemning them for it. To my mother, every student mattered. They knew it. And because of that, they treated her with more respect than they did most other teachers. I think they probably respected themselves more, too.

I haven’t always been able to say this—because I used to be wrong—but I want to be like my Mama. I want to make every person in my life feel like they matter.

In the Introduction to “Kisses from Katie,” Katie says, “If one person sees the love of Christ in me, it is worth every minute. In fact, it is worth spending my life for.” That expresses so beautifully how I feel. If there is one utmost goal in my life, it is that the people that experience me would be experiencing love—and more so, the love of Christ that has the power to heal and make a person whole. I have rarely felt more joy than when a friend called me after a particularly difficult time in her life and said, “Sarah, I know that God loves me because YOU love me.” For as many times as I fail, there was one graceful moment that I did something right—I loved my friend and she felt God in it.

Katie says, “Each and every one of us was ultimately created to do the same thing. It will not look the same. It may take place in a foreign land or it may take place in your backyard, but I believe that we were each created to change the world for someone. To serve someone. To love someone the way Christ first loved us, to spread His light.”

As I recently told my friend, Nick, we need to “stop being idiots and love somebody.” That includes me. It is my hope that every day, I would wake up and remember that this world is not about me. It’s not about building the Kingdom of Sarah and making Sarah feel good and happy and comfortable. It’s not about me always being right and getting my way. It’s about someone else. It’s about putting Sarah out of the way long enough to love and serve someone and make their day, their world better. Because every life matters.

Today’s post is part of a weekly book discussions that I am having with my co-facilitator, Jason Stasyszen and a group of our friends. Feel free to stick around for the discussion, even if you aren’t reading along in the book. At Jason’s site, you’ll find a widget where you can link up if you’re taking part in the discussion.

The picture above is one of the pictures of love in my life – my Mom and her sweet little friend, Ruby, who we have adopted as a surrogate grandmother. I just love how they love each other!