I used to think that in order to make a difference in this world that I needed to burst onto the scene like some big wildfire—out of control — wild and untamable. Burn it all up, make a huge impact and then my life would be complete. I would have “made it.”
I’d still love to make a big impact. Don’t we all want to be seen, known and loved? I do. I want to use my talents and gifts on a large scale. Who wouldn’t? The big promotion at the big company, the bright lights of the big stage, the global impact of non-profit. I could list all kinds of things. None of them are wrong.
But the older I get the more I realize that sparks are just as important. We always overlook the small sparks — the small things. Yeah, I know. They aren’t grandiose. They aren’t world-changing. They aren’t sexy. They aren’t social media worthy.
But when the world is dark, when someone is at rock bottom, a spark can bring a lot of light.
That’s why they’re so desperately needed. Everyone needs those sparks. Sometimes they look like making that phone call to say I’m thinking about you — sending that text to check in — having a meal together — investing in a person to help them along in life — you get the picture.
All of these things are opportunities to “one another” and are sparks that really change the world. I don’t want to get so caught up looking for the wildfire that I miss the opportunities to be a spark in someone’s life.