Ripples and Feathers

The movie Forrest Gump told the story of a man going through life and randomly effecting the events of the culture in the last half of the twentieth century. Purely by accident, Forrest stumbles into uncovering the Watergate Break In, He invents the "Smiley Face" logo, and personally meets a couple of U.S. Presidents just to name a few of his ripples. As the movie draws to a close a feather floats away from Forrest as a symbol of Forrest was just passing through life touching the lives of others indiscriminately. This makes for a great Hollywood movie, but it is not very practical. Making ripples in the lives of others does not just happen, we must purposefully choose to make a ripples in other peoples lives. Several years ago I was challenged by a speaker who said everyone of us need three types or kinds of people in our life...

A Paul
A Barnabas
A Timothy

• A Paul is someone who flows into our lives, someone we learn from, someone who challenges us and teaches us. Someone who is making ripples in our life.
• A Barnabas is both an encourager as well as one who will hold us accountable when we get a little sideways. Someone who helps us make ripples.
• A Timothy is someone whose life we flow into - the one we make ripples in their life

The challenge for each of is find the Paul's, the Barnabas' and the Timothy's so that we do not simply float through this life like a feather, but we truly, purposefully making ripples in this life. If we will do this it would be a story that Hollywood could not make up.

Are you looking for a Paul, a Barnabas and a Timothy today? I hope so!