Influential People

Special days such as Father's Day allow us to the opportunity to move our attention away from the daily issues of life and reflect on those individuals, both men and women, who have been people of influence in our lives.  Many of these individuals live in the recess of our memories while others are still making a difference at this present moment.  Many of these individuals still make a daily difference in our lives as we reflect on the ability of their knowledge and wisdom to teach us valuable life lessons.  Many of these individuals are a part of our immediate family while others are a part of our extended family that we have connected with during our journey through life.  The category in which we place these individuals is not as important as the type of influence that they have brought to us.  Their influence has assisted us in our development both natural as well as spiritual.  Each of us have been blessed through the love, concern, care, wisdom, knowledge, and guidance that these individuals have brought into our lives.  Much of this influence may have come through the efforts of our earthly father while others of us have been influenced through the efforts of spiritual fathers that God has placed in our lives at various times.  Different seasons of our lives require different types of influence.  Different seasons of our lives require different individuals with various gifts and abilities that will provide the direction and encouragement that we need at that specific moment.  We need to learn to recognize and appreciate these individuals on a daily basis and not just wait on some "holiday" to spark our memories.  Hopefully these special days allow us to recognize the blessings of God that have come our way through the efforts of these wonderful people.  Take a moment and thank God for those influential people that God has placed in your path of life.