Janelle Romano

You know those people that you love to be around, that give you the warm fuzzies and glow from the inside- the ones you feel better talking with whether you are having a rotten day or are on top of the world. Wouldn’t we all like to have more of that in our life? What if we actively looked for that in ourselves and others- and tried to amplify it. What a difference that could make in the world!
My best friend once gave me a card and told me not to hide my light. She saw what I didn’t, that I was allowing the opinion and the expectations of others stop me from being my authentic self and sharing the joy inside me with others.
When I think about how brief our time here on this earth is I can’t help but question, “Am I doing all I can to share my light and to maximize the gifts that God has given me?”
My friend recently visited Pearl Harbor and shared a message she happened upon at the Memorial. Eleanor Roosevelt kept the message in her wallet during WWII, “Dear Lord, Lest I continue my complacent way, help me to remember somehow out there a man died for me today. As long as there be war, I then must ask and answer, am I worth dying for?”
As Christians, we already know the answer, Christ gave his life for each one of us, and He believes we are all worthy, regardless of how we use or don’t use our gifts. However, I can’t help but stand in awe of that sacrifice and feel a tremendous sense of responsibility to use this sliver of time to maximize whatever minute contribution I can to make a difference- to grow His kingdom, give Him praise, and show my gratitude.