If you had never been born, my life would be different!

For most of the 1990s, my husband and I attended a large church in the Chicagoland suburbs and volunteered in a ministry called Oasis, this was a ministry helping kids through a loss, whether it was through a divorce or the death of a parent.  Once a year, the staff member that oversaw the ministry would have a retreat for all the leaders.  Thrasher's cabin in Lake Delavan, Wisconsin became a place for us to connect, grow, stretch and play together building a bond that allowed us to minister to these kids in their dark places knowing that we had a team of leaders behind us and for us.  

One year as we gathered at the cabin, Natalie, our staff leader planned an exercise for us that I will always remember.  She had a sheet of paper for each of us with the phrase "If (your name) had never been born, my life would be different", then each of us wrote something for that individual, leaving each person with a page full of life-giving, inspiring and touching words that empowered us and made us feel valued.  I still have that sheet, and when I read it, I am brought back to that moment and how it made me feel.

God loves us so much that He brings people into our lives to be His tangible and physical expression of this love.

If you had never been born, my life would be different...

because I wouldn't have the friend that cried with me when life crashed around me or the daughter that encourages me to be courageous, the son who makes me laugh hard just to cheer me up, the husband who loves me unconditionally, the co-worker who takes time to listen and pray with me, and the boss who makes sure I know I am valued.

I used this same exercise in a high school girl's small group that I led, and I can tell you that moment of watching and hearing these girls read and respond to the life-giving, encouraging words will forever be etched in my memory. They formed a bond from that moment feeling empowered by the gift of knowing they were valued and cherished.

Insight for the day: Give someone the gift of knowing the answer to the statement - "If you have never been born, my life would be different..." We all need the life-giving, inspiring, touching words that make us feel valued!