Having An Impact

The definition of impact is a force having an effect or influence on what happens. Karl is using an impact wrench to have an impact on this tire.

Hurricane Sandy definitely had an impact on the eastern seaboard states of our country. We farm for folks that own land in Iowa but live near Philadelphia. They were confined to their home without electricity for some time.

                  

This is a picture of storm water coming into the subway system.

                    

Our thoughts and prayers are with those folks as they start to put their lives back together.

An interesting story closer to home. We had borrowed a honey wagon suction hose from my cousin Stanley to water and pack dirtwork before it started raining. Someone told Mike it needed to be returned so Friday evening Mike picks it up. Someone else told Karl it needed to go back so Saturday morning Karl goes to the pond where he last used it and he can't find it. Karl looks everywhere. He finally convinces himself it had to have slid in the pond so he goes and gets the track hoe and drains the pond. All he found were several large snapping turtles. Finally after a couple of phone calls the mystery is solved.

So do we as just ordinary folks doing our ordinary jobs have much of an impact on life? Do we even have a responsibility to have an interest in how others are impacted? 

Unless we live under a rock all by ourselves I think we have an impact on others whether we want to or not. Hopefully in a positive way. Maybe sometimes in a negative way. Folks watch what we say and what we do. They also observe what we don't say and what we don't do. 

News if unreported has no impact. This story grips me by the few that did report on it. You have an ambassador pleading for help before and during the attack. You have the leadership of our country not just ignoring but refusing to send help. You have American heroes that disobeyed orders not to help and went and put their careers and lives on the line and ultimately gave their lives to help others. Finally you have a president and his staff that lied about the incident for two weeks and then when the lies caught up with him as they always do has spent the last two months with the help of the mainstream media trying to cover this story up. What an example of impact by what people did and by what they didn't do.

All the headlines and adds say this election is about the economy. Our nation's economy will not turn around until business folks in this country start trusting our government and the folks that govern us. This election is not about our paychecks. It's about our principles. Take the time to vote. The future of our communities, our state, and our country are depending on your impact.  

I have a little homework for you this week. For those of you that pray, talk to God about our country. 2 Chr. 7:14 promises it has an impact. Set the alarm on your cell phone for 7:14am and 7:14pm and just take a minute to thank God for what He has given us and ask Him to heal our land. Even though He knows our needs He likes to hear from His children as much as we like to hear from ours. 

When we plant our crops we make an impact for a year. When we plant trees like Jan likes to do we make an impact for a generation. When we share our faith we make an impact for eternity.

"If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land." 2 Chronicles 7:14