DID YOU IMPACT A LIFE TODAY? THERE'S STILL TIME. DO NOT LET 2024 END WITHOUT HAVING POSITIVELY MADE A DIFFERENCE IN SOMEONE'S LIFE!!!

"You are here to make a difference, to either improve the world or worsen it. And whether or not you consciously choose to, you will accomplish one or the other." Richelle Goodrich

On some level each of us wants to make our mark in or on the world. We may not readily admit this because it is too painful to believe that we may not be able to do this. We should only understand how simple this is. All we have to do is care enough and be willing to do something about it. "I'm always amazed by how easy it is to impact another life." Unknown. "A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives." Jackie Robinson.

On Sunday, December 8, 2024, my church, the Burke Avenue Church in the Bronx honored me for thirty (30) years of service as Director of Church School. Wow! I could not believe that thirty years had flown by so quickly. Time flies no matter what. This is the reason why we should treasure each moment of each day and live life to the fullest in accordance with God's plan for our lives.

Yes, we were created on purpose for a purpose. I know we may drift through life, acting as though we are here to do whatever we please, however we please. Not so. To be fair, we may not know what our purpose is. I have been there, so I understand. This is what I have learned; start at the beginning. Go to the source. You may have another source, but if you have been reading my writings, you know that for me the authentic source is our Creator, and His word is found in the Holy Bible. "Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others as faithful stewards of God's grace in its various forms." 1 Peter 4:10.

Even as you read the word of God, you may still be confused about your purpose. I will tell you this, if you are living according to what God has commanded, He will make your purpose known to you. The two greatest commandments are to "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all you mind, and with all your soul. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself."...This is the mission we should be about; doing as God has instructed in His word. Are you? You may still be questioning what this means. Well, the answer simply put is for you and I to do the will of God and He will guide you through life. His guidance includes directing you to your purpose and helping you to live it out. You can also get yourself into a Bible believing church and ask questions. Pray first so that you will be led to where you can grow in wisdom.

Think about these greatest commandments. The main ingredient is love. Love is what we all need. Love prompts us to take care of ourselves and others. Love inspires us to grow, especially in appreciation for our Creator. Our Creator has designed the world, and there is nothing that was made that was not made by Him. When we look at the creation story in the Bible, we see that Adam and Eve (the first man and woman that God created) were deceived and ate from the tree in the garden that there were forbidden to eat from; evil was ushered into the world. Things started going downhill from there. Yes, sin made it's entrance and is still with us. But, the good news is that because God loved His creation so much He had a redemption plan for mankind. "For God so loved the world that He gave his only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life." John 3:16.

My point here is that love moves us to do something. People who serve, even those who serve our country (a good many) are motivated by love and/or some reverence for their country. Service is a great way to show that you care. Genuine love is not self-serving, but is kind and serves for the good of others. It considers the needs of others without expecting anything in return. Read 1 Corinthians 13. "Love does not dishonor others, It is not self seeking........" We have a great example of this in the perfect gift that God gave to us. The reason for the Christmas season is to celebrate the gift of love and the sacrifice that love made on our behalf. God sent his son, Jesus, who died for us so that we might live. What a marvelous thing God has done! We may not understand all that this means or entails, but we do understand what it means when someone has done something to benefit our lives. The least we can do is to say thank you, and to show our gratitude. Our gratefulness is expressed in our willingness to serve God with our whole heart; with obedience and faithfulness. Further, we are to demonstrate and to share this love with one another. In fact, anyone who crosses your path or mine should become a recipient of God's love through their interactions with you or me or with anyone who professes to be God's child and living to please Him.

After more than thirty (30) years of service to my church (Burke Avenue Baptist Church in Bronx, NY), I relocated to another state. My church felt it fitting to honor me. I am deeply appreciative and my heart is humbled and filled with love and gratitude for this great act of kindness. But, it did not occur to me that I would be honored for my service to the Lord. Of course, I am glad they did. It was wonderful. The loving and heartfelt tributes and generous gifts lifted me. It was a privilege, an honor and a pleasure to work with my brothers and sisters in the Lord to build the kingdom of God by equipping others in the word of God through the church school. I have been blessed through the years by serving on several ministries and committees at the church: Choir, Youth (S.A.L.T. - Savior's Adolescents with a Living Testimony), Evangelism, Christian Education, Deacons' Ministry, Women's Ministry, etc). Each has grounded me in my faith and has equipped me to share my faith with others, including strangers. The bonds that we have developed are lifelong. We are a part of God's family, and the ties that bind us have made us so close that we are like blood related family.

We have laughed, cried, and celebrated milestone events and experienced the ups and downs of life together as we praised and worshipped the Lord. We fellowshipped one with another, including traveling together. Under the leadership of our dynamic Pastor-Teacher, Pastor Norman Coleman, we grew in the knowledge of the word. As a result, we know what we believe and why we believe it. We grew in our faith and in our Christian walk and were there for each other through the storms in our lives and the triumphs. You could feel the overwhelming and love and support that we gave and still give to each other, as God would have it.

We grew stronger as we read the Bible together, listened to great sermons, prayed together and studied examples of great faith and how God was reverenced nd people blessed through service. We learned that we are the ones who are blessed to be used of God.

When I first walked into Burke Avenue Baptist Church, I was planning to sit back and enjoy the worship services and not get involved in anything further. Obviously, God had other plans. Mother Ruth V. Banks, the President of the Congress of Christian Education at the time; and former First Lady of Burke Avenue Baptist, sought me out and volunteered me to teach Church School. I did not protest. She was (she has since gone on to be with our Savior) the kind of person you could not say no to. I am so glad that she did not let me just sit "on the premises," but she pushed me to "stand on the promises." To God be the glory! Now it is more than 30 years later!!! Praise God!

One of my most admired Bible characters is the apostle Paul. After his Damascus road experience, he served God faithfully inspite of his past and inspite of the mistrust of him that others had because of his past of persecuting Christians. This did not deter him. He traveled on several missionary journeys establishing churches and writing letters and epistles to guide them when he could not visit. He met with opposition, imprisonment and finally death. "For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain." Philippians 1:21. He never wavered in his faith nor in his committment to serving God and spreading the gospel. At the end of his life, he was at peace. "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith." 2 Timothy 4:7. He was so grateful for his encounter with the risen Savior that fear of death or maltreatment did not phase him. He served God with every fiber of his being; his heart, mind and soul. He was not looking for a reward. Service is from the heart and that is what God requires.

"Be the positive impact on the lives of others." Roy T. Bennett. Impact the life of someone; make a difference. Surprisingly, it does not take a lot to do that. A kind word, a prayer, a meal, or a glass of water when one is thirsty. "The King will reply. Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me." Matthew 25:40. I am humbled that just by sharing the love of Christ and doing my best to do a job that I was blessed to serve in brought me accolades that almost embarrassed me. Tears welled in my eyes on hearing the sentiments expressed in the tributes made to me just because I endeavored to give my best to the Master. The one thing you should know is that it is not too late to make a difference. If you have not already, start now.

1. Seek the Lord. You want to be certain to be on the right path. He will guide you. Trust Him. Proverbs 3:5-6. "But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." Matthew 6:33.

2. Access your abilities both spiritually and professionally and even recreationally. Maybe there is something you could do to help someone else using these abilities or skills. At the very least, you can perform random acts or planned acts of kindness. Giving of your time, talent and/or treasure to help a cause is a great service. Some examples of ways to be of service are: Serve food to the homeless through the church or at a soup kitchen,etc. You can volunteer to mentor a child or an adult. You can assist the elderly by doing chores they can no longer do. There are so many ways to be of service. Ask your Pastor, ask your employer. Ask a community leader.

3. Begin at the beginning. Read and follow the two greatest commandments: Matthew 22:36-40.

4. Always give your best. Work like Jesus hired you. He did. "Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ." Collosians 3:23-24. You may not be rewarded monetarily. But, let me assure you the love and gratitude that people show because of your selflessness and/or the fact that this is what God wants us to do is reward enough.

   
   

   Now that I have stepped out of the position that I held for thirty years, I asked if I could be of service in any other way (maybe online) even though I have relocated. I am excited to see what that will be. My suggestion to you is to search for ways to be of service; online, in person, etc. Of course, I will be doing this in the state of Maryland where I relocated. Currently, I work at an elementary school serving children with autism.

   
   

   People are in need, even if it is for a word of encouragement. Your heart will be warmed by knowing that you are doing God's will.

   
   

   Let me take this time to wish you a blessed holiday season. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! May 2025 be the Year that you live your best blessed life as you provide service to improve the life of someone else. No effort is too small. Jesus said that whatever you do for the least of these, you do unto Him. See scripture above. Get moving!

   
   

Wishing you God's best, with love and gratitude.

Yours, Yvette

Thank you for your love and support throughout 2024. I am so grateful that you took the time to read and comment. I look forward to your continued support and feedback in 2025. Also, share with a friend. I remain deeply appreciative. You can comment at vttlane@gmail.com. God bless you always!

TO THE BURKE AVENUE BAPTIST CHURCH, MY CHURCH FAMILY: THANK YOU FOR THE LOVE YOU HAVE SHOWN TO ME AND MY FAMILY THROUGHOUT THE YEARS AND THANK YOU FOR THE CEREMONY IN MY HONOR. PASTOR, YOU ARE RIGHT; THERE MAY BE SOME CHURCHES BIGGER, BUT THERE ARE NONE BETTER THAN THE WONDERFUL PEOPLE AT BURKE AVENUE BAPTIST CHURCH. YOUR KINDNESS AND GENEROUSITY HAVE SINCERELY TOUCHED MY HEART; YOU HAVE MADE ME FEEL SO SPECIAL, SO LOVED AND SO APPRECIATED. I LOVE YOU BACK!

I understand now that you do not have to lift yourself. When you serve the Lord, in due time, He will lift you, and you will be honored in His way and in His own time. Thank you Lord! Thank you again Burke Avenue for being true saints of God; His loving disciples who seek to be more and more like Jesus.

TO GOD BE THE GLORY! HE HAS DONE GREAT THINGS FOR YOU AND ME! NOW GET OUT THERE AND DO SOMETHING FOR SOMEBODY ELSE!!!