Making A Difference

There comes a point of time where you look back and wonder what you've done with your life. Success holds different meanings for different people. But every one of us want to have a meaningful life. We all want to have done something to make a dent in the world as we know it. The biggest question is: Can we really make a difference?

Back in my college days, the CF had a theme: "Are you Making A Difference?" or as we fondly put it "Are you MAD?" The question was: Are you really gonna do it? I think the days when you were in college (that age), you really believe you can change the world. Universities students are always the ones rallying protests, gathering petitions, going green and so on. They believe they can change the world. But 10 years down the road, don't you wish you're doing something about it? Don't you wish you had the opportunity to? Maybe you no longer believe it can be done.

I've always wanted to make a difference...
I've so often talked about it to my youths...
I couldn't figure out how else to make a difference...
I almost let the mundane sweep over me...

I was watching Jamie Oliver's Ministry of Food (again). He was trying to make a difference in young lives by: picking kids of the streets, by teaching ppl to cook and eat healthy and then pass it on, by empowering his team to work alongside him, by starting a revolution to start a new culture of eating healthy. It is a 'larger than life' dream.

I'm starting a list on my sidebar about people who are MAD (making a difference) by chasing a dream that is larger than life. Perhaps at one time people thought that mad. Jamie Oliver is new on the list.

• Oprah Winfrey for making her talk show more than just a talk show, influencing millions by giving and challenging, fighting and supporting a cause, and empowering people. In her latest Best Life Weight Loss Challenge where she challenged the town in America which has the highest statistics of overweight people to want to live healthily.
  
• Bill Hybels brought GLS to nations around the world and believing that leadership (especially in churches) needs to be raised. The vision was simple, the task daunting. GLS saw inspiring speakers like Catherine Rohr (with her Prison Entrepreneurship Program and giving a chance for a life to convicted fellons), Gary Haugen (with Internation Justice Mission who fought for justice around the globe although it threatens their lives), Jimmy Carter (with the Habitat for Humanity where they built homes for underpriviledge people).
• Jamie Oliver who took kids out of the street and gave them a chance for living. It wasn't just about learning how to cook, it's a revolution that empowered people.
  

I've always wanted to make a difference in my life. And I meant something larger than life. It's not just about building a strong youth group. It's about something way bigger, way more. It's about a culture, a revolution, an opportunity. It's a dream. It could make a difference.

Should I share it with my youth? I'm afraid I will fail. Afraid I'd stumble and let people down. But what if sharing it is the one thing that will motivate and bring meaning? Will it make a difference?