World Changers - Don't Let the World Change You
I’ve been having a lot of what’s the point moments lately and have been thinking of giving up, again. I’ve been feeling defeated because of division in my community. A community to which, I had assigned a great deal of importance; because it was one I was led to, and that helped me see life, light and love more clearly. A community in which, I also found meaning and purpose, and where I felt I had a role to play in the important work that this community was to do. Work that had the potential to be life changing, and world changing; for both me, and those we served. Now I just feel torn. Like that, this division is trying to force me to choose. And, that the work that I felt I was being led to, within this community and by this community, is no longer really an option.
I feel like I’m being forced to choose; one half of the community, or the other half. Or choose something completely different; find a new community and hope that there will exist the same opportunity to do the same kind of work. In fact, I feel like someone whose parents just divorced. My soul is aching, and I’m struggling to find reason; a reason for the strife in this community, a reason for the division, and reason, itself, for my own future.
“There are no words in times like these, when tears don’t hide the tragedies. And all you want is a reason for the world”. Your heart just wants a reason for the world.”, Reason for the world – Matthew West
I need to find a reason for the world; a reason for my world and my existence, once again. I need to once again, restore meaning a purpose; I need a cause to fight for and work to do for others. I don’t have to be known or to be rewarded for doing this work; it is its own reward, but I do need to do this work. Without this, I feel that, "what’s the point", feeling, a lot. If I’m not giving, helping or serving others, I give up. If I'm not existing to help others, what’s the point of my existence?
“All the tear-stained pages, that fill the stories of our life…” – Matthew West
The story of my life is filled with tear stained pages, and yet I continue to help wipe away the tears of others. Continue to help others to write a new story for themselves, like I’ve done for myself. It is my lot in life; my calling. To serve others, before myself. Without this work, I wander, lost and without direction. I have to have a cause; a reason for getting up every morning. I have a fire in my soul; a need to do the extraordinary. By extraordinary, I don’t mean something that makes me famous or known. I don’t care about being known; I don’t want to be famous, but I need to serve. I need to help the lost and the broken; because I’ve been both. I need to make a difference in someone else’s world.
“in a world full of dirt, you're a diamond - In a world full of hurt, you're smiling - In the darkest dark, you're shining - Shining like a shooting star - You live your life like you're here on a mission - Yeah, you're not afraid of being different - This is to all the world changers - Keep walking on, don't you ever - Lose that fire in your soul - This is to all the world changers - You know you are history makers - This world's never gonna change you - You're gonna change - The world”, Matthew West, World Changers
I realize, this is because I’m a “world changer”. I’m a diamond in the rough; a light in the darkness for others. When the world shows them hatred or hurts them, I show them love. When the world knocks them down, I help them up. I have to; it’s who I am. I live my life like I’m on a mission; because I am. I need a mission; without one, I wander. Without one, I feel lost. Because the world changes us; either makes us hardened or weakens us. It can change everyone and anyone; including the world changers, if we let it.
It starts with these kind of, “what’s the point”, moments. We need to fight these, “what’s the point”, moments; because that is the world talking to us, not us talking to ourselves. We need to fight the darkness and keep spreading light; for ourselves and others. We need to not give up when we have experiences like this that make us feel this kind of defeat; or find ourselves wandering lost or in the middle of someone else’s storm. We need to see this is a challenge, instead of defeat; we need to be a lighthouse keeper. We need to find a way of spreading light, and healing the hurts. And, of not letting the world stop us from doing so. We need to find a way of bridging the gaps, caused by division such as this; to bring the community closer again, somehow.
We need to change the world, instead of letting the world change us. Sometimes that means, instead of letting the storm swallow us and others, whole, we need to ride it out and wait for the sun to shine again. Instead of giving up and saying, “what’s the point”, we need to wait for the reason to be revealed. But while we are waiting, we need to keep our hope alive, and keep shining our light throughout that storm, so we can help guide others who are lost in the storm, home again. To be the light that guides them home, and the bridge that helps them cross the divide.