What does impact actually look like?

Around this time last year, the word “impact” was heavy on my heart. At the time, I had no clue what that meant but I had a few ideas. I was praying for the opportunity to create more with spoken words and do new big things. It was my tendency as a prideful person to assume that was going to automatically mean lots of views and lots of opportunities. I was blessed enough to see a lot of that happen and have some videos that did very well and be able to share spoken word in cool places. But I’ve learned that I can’t put the measure of impact in numbers. There were so many times that I was so discouraged because spoken words didn’t get the interaction that I wanted. I realized that if that is my goal then my intentions are out of place. 

Luke 15 talks about Jesus’s pursuit of the one. That He is a shepherd who is reckless enough to leave 99 sheep in pursuit of one person. I realized that His love is so deep for each person, that he doesn’t care what the masses think, he cares about the one that is lost. So why don’t I have the same mentality? 

I learned a lot about impact and intentionality through spoken word throughout this year, but the biggest thing I learned is that the one is worth it. Impact may look different than we think, but that doesn’t mean it is not rich in effectiveness. It’s about saying yes to what Jesus has asked you to do without always needing proof.