Influence

Back in more youthful days, I coached my daughters' peewee football cheerleader squad. I made up a cute little cheer perfect for the eight girls on the squad. We did the same cheer for about two years, then moved on as young families do. It was a great surprise several years later, while attending a homecoming at the local high school, I saw "my" cheer being performed by the varsity squad.  The eight girls I had taught had long since graduated, yet the cheer lived on.  I was blessed to see goodness come of a small gesture, but I wonder how often I lost patience, made a rude comment, or any other number of things I may have done in front of those little girls. Had these actions had the same lasting effect as the little good? As we go throughout our day today, let us ask God to guide our actions so that our influence on those around us will glorify His Holy Name.

God, who has saved His whole people, conferring heritage, kingdom, priesthood, and sanctification on all of us, as He has promised in the Law, will surely, as our hope is in Him, be swift to show us mercy and gather us together from everywhere under heaven to the holy place, since he has rescued us from great evils and has purified it.  2 Maccabees 2:17-18