Making an Impact

 “After the great anguish of his soul, he will see light and be fully satisfied. By knowing him, the righteous one, my servant will make many to be righteous.” (Isaiah 53:11 TPT)

I had an interesting conversation with a friend of mine a few months ago. In order to protect her identity, I’m going to change her name to Therese. Therese and her husband have four young children. Her husband’s small business has lost most of its revenue during the quarantine. Therese works for a large employer, but her hours have been cut, too. It would be natural for her to be stressed out about her finances. However, she told me something surprising. She said: “Now that we consume less, our expenses are low.” I asked her for clarification. She mentioned that she has enough to buy groceries and to pay for housing for her family. The rest, she has discovered, was unnecessary all along. Therese and her family have found contentment, even while they have had to relinquish much of their previous lifestyle. 

Like many others, I have had to make some adjustments  over the last few months. While I wouldn’t call these ‘major sacrifices’, they have not been fun! Uncertainty and instability drain my energy. However, Therese’s perspective has influenced me to reevaluate what I consider to be necessary for a decent quality of life. She has made an impact without even knowing it. When we think of making a positive impact on the world, we imagine making a contribution--an addition of some sort. But in Therese’s case, her refraining from consumption and the subsequent shift in attitude made an impression on me, and I am sure on many others. If each of us inspires a few more people, eventually the spread could be exponential. Even in times of great anguish, we can see the light and be fully content. As followers of Christ, we can live righteously and influence others to do the same.