One of my all time favorite shows growing up was Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman. Can I get an “Amen?!” Each week there was thrill, excitement, adventure and drama. From a young age I remember longing to live in that time period. The old American West. Hours were spent daydreaming with my two neighbors about what life would be like if we lived back then. It’s kind of crazy to realize just how much that show influenced my life, as well as the lives of my two neighbors. There were other influencers of course, but I believe Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman was one of the reasons that led the three of us to all become nurses, love horses and prefer a simpler life. To this day, Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman stirs warmth in my soul. It’s why I wear a cowgirl hat anytime that it is remotely socially acceptable!
If you have known me for a length of time then you’ve probably heard me express my love for the show and might have even heard me say that I was born into the wrong era and that if I could change my life, I would live in the small town of Colorado Springs in the 1860’s. With Brey’s General Store, Grace’s Cafe and a handsome mountain man by my side…thankfully, I have a handsome mountain man by my side now!
I laugh to myself in thinking about how much I love DQMW and want to live back in a time when life was simpler and full of horses and adventure, however, I came upon a quote the other day that stopped me in my tracks. The quote, said by Gary Morland, made me smile at the perfection of God’s hand and timing. “Do not despise the era in which the Lord has chosen to make you an influencer.”
Something I’ve struggled with in thinking about writing publicly is the idea of a blog. The biggest struggle for me is the false narrative that plays out in my mind sometimes, “I’m just one of thousands. What would make mine unique enough for anyone to read?” But when I read that quote, it reshaped what I thought about blogs, about myself and about my writing.
I’m not going to sugar coat it, starting a blog feels risky. It feels vulnerable. It opens me up to face criticism that I’m not sure I want to hear. But not starting a blog feels riskier. Because if I didn’t, I would be going against what God asked me to do. And that’s not a place I want to be.
God didn’t make a mistake in putting me in this era of communication. It was purposeful. It was planned. He knew before time began that I would be alive in 2021 as opposed to 1860. He knew that now was my time to be an influencer for Him. And He knew that blogging would put me so far out of my comfort zone that I would have to rely on Him. He is infinitely wise.
As much as I long for my romanticized “simpler life,” there is no turning back. While we may long for the past, there is no reliving it. There is only learning from it and letting it inform your present and what lies ahead. We are here in this instant access era and although some of you may be like me and feel a bit of disdain towards it, God did not make a mistake in having you live out your life at this moment in time. How are you using this era to be an influencer?
Good or bad, we all have someone we are influencing. Are we influencing them in a way that brings forth enrichment to them and those around them? For the betterment of their souls? For the benefit of humanity? Most importantly, are we influencing them to encourage their deepening walk with Jesus?
Who are you influencing? Who and what influenced you and helped mold you into the person you are today? How can you take a next right step in influencing the world around you, one soul at a time?
God knew what He was doing when He brought forth life in you at this time in history. He in fact knows all of your days, before even one of them came to be. Don’t waste your limited time here, be an influencer for Him.
God, may I be an influencer for you.
Well said and well written, I also share that love for another era-mine is the 1940’s. The music, the family values,the patriotism. But I am grateful to God that He has me living in 2021.