Chances are you’ve never heard of Dixie Thompson. She was the music director for one of the churches my husband pastored. Descriptors for Dixie would include:
(We performed “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” in 1998. That’s me on the right.)
- Gifted; directing all aspects of a musical (instruments, choir, players, narrator, stage crew, sound technician, etc.–and making it look easy)
- Talented; bringing the best out of each participant
- Good listener; not interrupting, seeking to understand
- Unflappable; calm under fire
- Encouraging; often writing notes of appreciation
When I happened to be with Dixie at a restaurant or store, we’d always run into people she knew. And everybody wanted to talk to Dixie. She made each person feel important to her.
Much sooner than we would have liked, God chose to take Dixie home to heaven. She died of a brain tumor several years after my husband had been assigned to another church.
Hundreds of people attended her funeral. And the numerous stories told that afternoon gave indication of Dixie’s widespread impact.
Does that sound appealing—to influence for good the people around you?
In fact, that’s a normal desire:
“The drive to significance is a simple extension of the creative impulse of God that gave us being . . . We were built to count as water is made to run downhill. We are placed in a specific context to count in ways that no one else does. That is our destiny” [1].
But to accomplish our destiny requires determination. Determination to:
Accept who we are and where we are (Psalm 138:8)
‘Feeling ordinary? Insignificant? Unseen? Your feelings are lying to you!
“There is no such thing as an insignificant person or an insignificant place or an insignificant position” [2].
Granted, some people are like Waterford crystal, refracting the light and drawing praise. Others of us feel as forgettable as a compost bin.
Just remember: Crystal can be fragile, but that unremarkable compost bin offers “rich possibilities for fertilizing the lives of others” [3].
Pray to be prepared (Psalm 143:10)
“God’s recipe for significance is to get low, not high, to commit our plans to the Lord in prayer, not to move ahead without a sense of his blessing and guidance ”[4].
We can pray each day that God will work and speak through us to benefit those we encounter.
Invest in others (1 Thessalonians 5:11)
“A life isn’t significant except for its impact on other lives” (Jackie Robinson).
And impact occurs as we help and support, share and give, listen and encourage, challenge and celebrate those around us.
Cumulate words and deeds (Zechariah 4:10a)
“Never underestimate the power of a simple act of kindness or an encouraging word” [5].
Sometimes what seems like ordinary conversation and ordinary gestures actually add up to far-reaching impact.
I think of my grandmother, whose steady faith over the course of her life, her consistent kindness, overriding serenity, and more still inspire me, more than fifty years after she went home to her beloved Jesus.
Model / Be an example (Matthew 5:16)
An impactful example can occur even when we’re unaware.
“With every deed you are sowing a seed, though the harvest you may not see.”—Ella Wheeler Wilcox.
Words are seeds too. Even an overheard conversation might be just the catalyst to turn a mind toward Christ.
[Be] Tenacious of faith (1 Corinthians 15:58)
We can determine to be tenacious, faithful, and watchful people, always attentive to those persons God puts in front of us, and seeking to honor him by honoring them. Then “we trust there will be fruit whether we see it or not” [6].
Stir these actions into your life . . .
- I nvestment in others
- M odeling / Be an example
- P rayers of preparation
- A cceptance of who we are and where we are
- C umulation of simple words and deeds
- T enacity of faith
. . . and you will indeed provide IMPACT in this world, an impact that extends into eternity.
No doubt people are still entering heaven’s gates who were impacted by the legacy of Dixie Thompson, and even of my dear grandmother.
[1] Dallas Willard, The Divine Conspiracy: Rediscovering Our Hidden Life in God, quoted by Sara Hagerty in Unseen, 40.
[2] Anne Graham Lotz, The Vision of His Glory, 77.
[3] illustration from Maggie Wallem Row, This Life We Share, 15.
[4] Dane Ortlund, In the Lord I Take Refuge, 359.
[5] Dorothea Shields, https://liviingmagazine.net/a-life-of-significance
[6] Hilary Yancey, contributor to A Moment to Breathe, 135.
Image credits: Steve Ruegg; http://www.pickpik.com; http://www.canva.com; http://www.pick.pik.com; http://www.canva.com; http://www.dailyverses.net; http://www.canva.com.
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