Future Life?

A few days ago, I started reading Laura Bush's Spoken From the Heart. Why am I reading this? Well, my discipler told me, on our very first meeting, that she heard the Lord say that I am like Mrs. Laura Bush. So, being a diligent, if delayed, disciple, I ordered the book from the library, and it just arrived late last week. As I've delved into the first hundred or so pages of the book, I began pondering my own life. If I'm like Laura Bush, doesn't it follow that I too will write a book about my life? And if that is true, why shouldn't I get a head start on it, since I am obviously alive, and the past 21 years are a part of my life.

And that thought made me pause.

You see, I've thought about writing books before. I've considered writing fiction, or a children's book, or a devotional, or even just giving my journals to my children, when they're old enough. But I'd never considered writing an autobiography, because I'd never thought my life would be public enough for an autobiography to be necessary. But as I read Laura Bush's book, and as I consider that I could live a life like hers, with the influence she has, I realize that my life will definitely reach far and beyond what I thought possible. And that scares me.

But it also inspires and convicts me! If my life is going to be so public, and my influence is going to be so great, how must I live now so that my testimony later is as powerful as possible? How can I live today so that tomorrow my life can be examined and found to lack nothing? What choices can be made in the present so that the future will give all the glory to God?

It's like applying to colleges. You keep your MySpace and Facebook page as good-looking as possible, you volunteer for all sorts of events and organizations, and you don't get speeding tickets. But on a much bigger scale, how am I interacting with people today so that in 10, 15, 20 or more years, they will remember me and say, "She was a godly woman even in her twenties." I want that!!! I want the people who know me now, or even those who know my face or name, to later be able to say "When she was in college, she had integrity," or "When she worked for this or that employer, she made the company look good," or "I took a class with her in college, and she made class fun." What am I doing today that will be positively remembered later?

I hope that my life so far is an example of trusting the Lord. I know there are specific points in my life that I was so scared to let go of control, but I know also that overall, my testimony will be that I trusted the Lord, and He has done great things.

I hope that so far, I have lived a life of risk. I hope that I have risked something or everything so that someone else may encounter a piece of Jesus. I hope that some small act of boldness on my part changed someone else's life for the better.

I hope that I have been an encouragement to those around me. I hope that the people I see or talk to regularly have been uplifted by my words and actions, and I hope that I have supported my dear friends in their life battles.

I hope that I have made others welcome. If you were ever "the new guy" in my presence, I hope that I made you feel welcome and included. I hope that my icebreakers weren't too awkward, and that you were able to join the group with no hesitations.

These are some of words that will describe my life, I hope. If you have any to add, please feel free to comment on this post. I'd love to hear from you.