Day 15 | Created To Make A Difference

It was late September 2021, and I was in line to get a coffee at LifeChurch, when this beautiful blonde woman came up to me and said, “Christie, I'm Denise and I would love to get together with you.” I had noticed her at church before because she had so much joy and a nice, welcoming smile. I told her I would love to get together with her, and she invited me to come to her home. The following week, I arrived at her house, and she greeted me at the door with a huge hug. I walked into her foyer, and with great sincerity and contagious enthusiasm she grabbed my hands and asked me, “Christie, what are you going to do with the short time God has left for you on this earth?”

She caught me off guard with her question, and I replied through my laughter, “Oh wow, Denise! Is this how we are going to start?” She replied, “Absolutely!” For the next hour, I shared with her cherished and somewhat private things I felt God had put on my heart. During this hour, and by the working of the Holy Spirit, our hearts connected, and through Denise, God confirmed some directions in which I had felt Him leading me. Our time together that day was sacred. I am so grateful she listened to the promptings of the Holy Spirit and invited me over. By doing so, she loved me well.

What are you going to do with the short time God has left for you on this earth? I think this is an important question we can all ask ourselves. What are we doing to make a difference? Difference-making is not just for a select few. Every one of us has been created to make a difference. After Jesus arose from the dead, He commissioned His disciples to “go to all the world and preach the Good News to every person” (Mark 16:15). As disciples of Jesus, we are commissioned to go and tell people about this same Good News. We have been commissioned to make a difference, and there is no better way to do this than to love people well. When we love well, we are showing people Jesus.

That day I went to Denise’s house, we were basically strangers, but that did not stop her from loving me well. I had no idea how deeply I needed that morning with her. It changed me. She was able to speak into my life in areas I normally would have guarded. Her love removed the barriers. 

My prayer for us is that we will look for ways to make a difference by loving well. In a world that constantly tries to separate us by hate, let us pray that God will bring us opportunities to unify through His love. I pray that God’s Spirit will lead us in this and that He will give us a hunger to make a difference.

Cheering for you all,
Christie Braun