Why You Matter
I read something in a devotional the other week that realy encouraged me. I’m hoping it will encourage you, too. Because you and I are unique. Yet somehow, it’s easy to forget that.
The devotional I was reading was geared toward writers. I’ve never read a “writer-focused” devotional before, but the truth that inspired me isn’t just for writers. It’s for anyone who’s trying to accomplish something, or who’s simply trying to get through life.
Here’s an excerpt from the devotional, called, Let There Be Writing by Holley Gerth.
At the time I’m writing this, over eight billion people inhabit the earth. Imagine all those fingerprints and eyelashes. No two people have the exact same laugh, the same sigh, the same freckles. No one else has your voice, either.
It’s easy to look at a world full of words and think yours aren’t needed. Hasn’t it all been said before? The themes we write about are as old as history itself. Every generation has something to say about love, heartbreak, healing, faith, and the journey of being human. But what’s new, what has never existed before, is you.
I often hear that all the stories that exist have already been written. We writers are only re-telling the same basic stories, with different details thrown in.
That’s true, but what’s different – and brand new – is that we’re telling that story to a new audience, living in a new environment with new questions and challenges in life.
And most of all, what’s different is us. The way we think and communicate is unique. I might write stories in a similar way as some other writers, but it won’t be exactly the same. My stories are not duplicates of any other writer’s stories. They’re brand new, coming from a brand new person behind the laptop.
My thoughts and feelings and the way I express them are as individual as a snowflake or a retinal eye pattern. No one else is like me.
And no one else is like you.
That neighbor who feels lonely might not feel accepted by anyone, until you befriend them with your unique sense of humor and your way of showing you care.
That problem at your workplace might not get fixed until you approach it with your fresh perspective and proactive methods.
That recipe, or engine job, or performance piece, might not really shine until you add your suggestion or finishing touch to the work.
You matter.
What you do matters.
Who you are matters.
Whether or not you celebrate Christmas, it’s a time when many of us remember that God loved us enough to become one of us. God considers each of us worthwhile, and worth spending time with. So much so that he wanted to share our human condition, calling himself “Emmanuel”, which literally means, “God with us.”
You matter to God. And you matter to the people around you, even if they don’t always say it or recognize it. As we learned from the film, It’s a Wonderful Life:
“Each man’s life touches so many other lives. When he isn’t around he leaves an awful hole, doesn’t he?”
I hope you have a great holiday season. And I hope you get some quiet time to relax and realize that you are valuable. In fact, you are vital to the people around you, and to the time and place you’re living in.
And I’m glad you’re here.
Merry Christmas!
Keep believing!
