What are you leaving behind?

Offered as a prayer -Give us true ambition—ambition to find our greatness in serving others, and the ambition to put into life more than we take out. — William Barclay

My parents always said as we hiked, visited parks or most anywhere to always leave a place better than we found it…. Often this found us picking up trash left by less careful trekkers, but we saw it not only as a duty, but a delight to make the area more beautiful. There were those that would look at us as though we were nuts or at other times, we may encounter a somewhat grateful glance for the small improvement.

In this “true ambition” we are to understand that it really is the only eternal thing we have to offer this world – and as believers – we are not home, but only here for a short while until we go home to be with our Heavenly Father. I believe we are to "leave this place in better shape than we found it." Hopefully - at least in our "neck of the woods," we will leave it clean, but more importantly marked by greater faith, hope and love because of how we have walked in faith, shared our hope and lived out our love toward our family and others.

HOME I’m so grateful God is in control and preparing our way. In my Father's House are many mansions; if it were not so I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. (John 14:2) Now go out and change your world! You can do it – one smile, act of kindness, conversation (or even piece of the discarded) at a time. ENJOY!