Today is my birthday, and I have reached the milestone of my thirties. Somehow though it doesn't seem important, how long you live, what age you have reached; it doesn't really matter. What matters are the lives that you impact.
Today, one my high school English teachers died. Mrs. Schmuck was known for her smile the most. I can remember people complaining about having her first hour because she was so cheerful, and people complaining about having her seventh hour because she was so cheerful! The poems that she taught us stick with me still today. At random moments, a poem that I learned with Mrs. Schmuck will pop into my head. The things she taught were not just academic lesson; with her life she taught many spiritual lessons.
Over the past several days her facebook page has been inundated with people posting how Mrs. Schmuck influenced their lives. It wasn't the grammar, literature, or spelling words she taught that made the greatest impact, her influence went much farther than that. It was her Christian life that made the greatest impact, she truly lived a life that exemplified the joy of the Lord.
Yesterday, Steve Jobs died; today facebook, has been filled with people discussing his life. He made a great impact on the world, even on my world, since Apple is Nick's employer at the moment. I can't help but see a stark contrast between the two. Mrs. Schmuck was a high school English teacher, Steve Jobs an innovator. Steve Jobs made millions, Mrs. Schmuck not so much. Steve Jobs became a household name, Mrs. Schmuck not so much. But the impact that Mrs. Schmuck made was so much greater. The treasure Steve Jobs accumulated won't last. The treasure Mrs. Schmuck accumulated will last forever. The headlines won't ever report about Mrs. Schmuck's, but her life and influence has greatly touched many lives.
So you see, age doesn't matter, it's not important. The people that we influence, the love of Christ that we show, that is what truly matters.
