During the past few weeks there have been a series of moments that remind me that I serve a bigger purpose than myself.  The first was when a friend posted a picture of a sticky note with a comment I’d left on her Facebook page the other day after she mentioned she was feeling insignificant.  The comment was the first thought I’d had when I read her status.  It wasn’t some profound, thought of the century.  But it obviously resonated with her.  Perhaps I was just the delivery channel for the message God wanted her to have that day.

That was soon followed by a call at work from a customer who just wanted to say thanks for supporting a local Farmer’s Market and that she enjoyed seeing our company in that setting.  As the event coordinator for this company I wouldn’t say that the market is a high priority.  And it’s probably one of the simplest events we do all  year.  Regardless it made an impact significant enough for this customer to reach out just to say thanks for being a part of it, which makes it important in an entirely different way.

Then I got a freelance inquiry from a couple who want me to photograph their elopement at Denali!  Seriously?!  Who in their right mind would turn that opportunity down? What I didn’t know when I first responded to the email was that they are flying in from Philadelphia for a weekend just for that purpose!  They’d seen my ad on Craigslist and liked my style, so they contacted me.  It was just the reinforcement I needed that the tiny voice in my head saying I’d finally found ‘my’ style was right.  It also confirmed that although I have a different editing technique than many photographers do these days, there are people out there who want their memories to have the look I create.

Tonight, as I scrolled through Facebook I spotted this and it clicked.  This sums up my recent experiences.  I often feel that I’m not living up to my full potential, that I haven’t found that thing that will lead me to change the world.  This made me consider the idea that I don’t HAVE to complete some news worthy accomplishment to change the world.  Instead I can change the world in little ways.  Ways that matter individually, just when people need it. Granted I may never know that I’ve done so; but just when I need the reassurance that I’m making a difference I’m sure God will give me another spree of ‘signs’ to remind me.  This life we live – may it be the reason someone smiles today!