Behind the Scenes - Ready to Change the World (Again)

 

I will never forget this trip – the trip to Washington D.C. my senior year in high school. I can’t remember what class sponsored it or even who perked my interest, but it was for high school students interested in politics, interested in world change, interested in making a difference in their community. Yes. I’m sure you picked all of that up from this photo.

To be honest, the photo is fairly tame. You can’t really see my purple hair with lavender streaks. You can’t see the fact that I’m running around Washington D.C. in April with no shoes on, and you can’t see all the chains, chunky jewelry, and other metallic embellishments I usually had in abundance because I had to take it all off to go on the White House tour (ask me how many times they made me go through the check point). Funny things, those metal detectors, they just keep going off, and going off, and …

Back then, I had this idea that I wanted to change the world. I didn’t know what I wanted to change it into, I wasn’t sure how I wanted to change it, but I knew I wanted to make a difference, I knew I wanted to help people, and I knew I wanted to make my life count for something.

Back then, I thought that meant getting into politics (or becoming radically political), going somewhere into the heart of government and striking out with messaging, passing legislation, and lobbying for action.

Somewhere between Washington D.C and back home; somewhere between senior year and sometime later, that desire for change and making a difference broke on the rocks of real life; community college; and paying bills. It would be a long time before I heard the call for change deep in my heart again.

But I have heard it. In the last several years, things have been moving and changing in my life. Things have been stirring. I have been on a desert journey and come out the other side with a clearer path and a keener vision. I haven’t given up on the dream that I can change the world. I haven’t given up on my desire to make a difference. I’m finding ways to nurture that dream, one small spark at a time through small steps – nothing grand – but through understanding that change doesn’t have to be sweeping. It just has to happen.

Awake. When I first saw it, I thought it was a snapshot of someone’s morning coffee. Yes. It was an early morning. Then I saw that cup of coffee, ahem, book cover popping up on other Facebook walls, Twitter feeds, and Instagram streams and thought – something must be going on here. I was intrigued. This book – about absolute poverty and its associated tragedies like malnutrition, human trafficking, and other global issues – is written by a Noel Yeatts, Vice President of World Help, a faith-based humanitarian organization that serves the physical and spiritual needs of people in impoverished communities around the world.

I read the reviews of her book on several blogs, have a copy on the way, and have made the commitment to join the six-week study of the book. This fits so perfectly with so much of what I desire in my life: an opening up, a pouring out, a giving up. I want to do all of that while wide awake. I hope this study will be another step in that direction. I invite you to join. Read the book. Join the study. You can learn more about it here. I think this one’s going to be a game changer.

I'm linking up with Crystal Stine and company again today; joining the Behind the Scenes link up. A place to make a connection beyond the Pinterest perfect ideals; to look past the edges of the photo to the real life behind it; to say hi, this is me in all my messy real-ness. Sounds like a good time to me.

I'd love to connect with you some more - stop on by the Three Bees Facebook Page or connect with me on Twitter @3BeesBlueBonnet. Let's continue the conversation!