Leavin Your Imprints on the World

I just got a call from one of my favorite youth pastors in the world.  He has brought his youth group out to Timberline Lodge (where I work) a couple times and I have gone and spoke at their summer camp twice.  Over the years I have developed relationships with different students in the group.  Two of the students that I will never forget are two girls, Lauren and Kathryn.  I call them tweedle dee and tweedle dumb (or the twins) they are inseparable..  They have been best friends since they were in kindergarten.  Now they are 16 or 17 and have grown up to be amazing women of God.  I spoke at their summer camp one year and the girls made me a poster board that was a colleague of them growing up to tell me how much they appreciated me.  If you were to meet these two girls you would never forget them.  They are both full of so much life and joy.  They can make anyone feel welcome and accepted.  Together they are hilarious, like a constant comedy act.  They made such an impact on my life that I still have the poster board and this was over 3 years ago (which is a big deal for me.)  When I picked up my phone and realized that it was this youth pastor I got excited, it was so good to hear his voice.  Only he didn’t sound like his regular self.  He said, “Zane I got some bad news.”  Lauren, (one of the girls) died today in a car wreck.  My heart sank.  It didn’t seem real.  It was like the world stopped and I was left with the cold reality that one of the most amazing, joyful, life loving people that I know just died at such a young age.  I wanted to call the other girl, but I had no words to say.  When we face the reality of death, there are no words to take away the pain.  It’s not fair. I went up to my room and just spent time looking at the poster board that Lauren made me.  She died way to young.  As I sat there looking at this poster I realized, that Lauren lived life to the fullest.  She left her fingerprints on this world.  Just one of those prints is the impact that she had on my life.  I have a poster board to remember the girl who left a lasting imprint on my life.  I was faced with the question, “what imprint am I leaving on the world?”  What will I be remembered for?  May each of us leave an everlasting imprint on the world, an imprint of fullness of life, joy, happiness, and love.  Jesus said that He was the one who came to offer life and life to the fullest.  If you have received that life then share it with others, we never know what day will be our last.  If you have not received the fullness of life that Jesus offers, don’t waste another day living without it we never know when our last day may come.      

Who I Am And What I Do