My wife teaches in Richmond Hill. I serve a church in North Bryan County, and we live there. Recently, someone who knows my wife made the connection between the two of us. She told my wife that she reads my column every week, and she enjoys it. I have to tell you, I was encouraged. The fact is that I have no idea who, if anyone, reads what I write. It made my day to know that someone cares.

Someone might question why that matters to me. After all, we serve the Lord. He will be the one to reward us at the appropriate time. We should not be worried about what others think. We should live our lives to please God.

And with that I agree. But God created us with the desire to live meaningful lives. We want our lives to count. It is for that reason that some people are actors and athletes. They live for accolades from others. Some people go into business in order to make a name for themselves. Others hope to leave their impacts on the world in some way.

I admit I have similar hopes and dreams. I’m not looking to have my name put on some building. I don’t necessarily want to be famous. But I want my life to count. I want to make a difference.

When I lived in Detroit, I told a friend who worked for one of the carmakers that I was a bit jealous of his job. I didn’t want to build cars, but he had an advantage over me: He was able to see the end result of what he did. Everywhere he went, he saw cars that he helped build.

I don’t get to see the finished product of what I do very often. I have remarked that the closest I come is at the funeral of a believer. But every once in a while, I am blessed to see progress made. I hear someone say I made a difference in their lives. Or I see a young person get involved in the church, perhaps even be baptized. I see a couple I married walk in the church with their baby. I hear a testimony of what God is doing in someone’s life. And I am encouraged. I am blessed.

Jesus said, “I have come that they might have life and have it more abundantly.” I think one aspect of this making a difference in others’ lives. I was grateful to hear that someone out there is reading. But I want you to know that someone may be reading the column you write every day of life. And they want to know if God matters in your life. Is he making a difference in you?

When God makes a difference in your life, you make a difference in others. Has that happened for you? Can others see it? I pray that the Lord will help you live in such a way as to make a difference.