Red on the Head

Today at church, our pastor talked about animal groups...how they're called various things in groups. Like, a flock of birds...a gaggle of geese...a pride of lions...a pack of wolves...he remarked how it's funny (weird not ha ha) that animal groups have names like that.

Then he talked about rhinos. A group of rhinos is called a crash. Probably because although a rhino can run 30 miles per hour, its vision is only good for 30 feet. So if you're 31 feet away from a "crash" of charging rhinos, you should probably move. And fast. That's most likely why they're called that.

Then he talked about how he wanted our church to become a crash. To come together and charge forward toward what God has called us to do...even if we can't see what's ahead. He even said that whatever is standing at 31 feet ahead of us had better move, 'cause we're coming. I thought that was a cool way to look at the church's mission.

He also talked about fingerprints. My fingerprints now aren't the same as what they were when I was born. This is because life, well, happened. As we live life, our hands grow, we get scars, burns, whatever. And it changes our fingerprints. I have a scar on my right "pointer" finger where my brother once dared me to stick my finger just inside a metal window fan. When I stupidly accepted the dare, he pushed my elbow, sending my finger further in and resulting in a fairly deep cut. My scar is a reminder of that joyous occasion.

The pastor also talked about what kind of fingerprint you leave on this world...that fingerprint includes all the scars, burns and changes to your fingerprints brought on by the life you've led.

So that got me to thinking, as I sometimes do anyway, what kind of impact have I had on this world? We all leave fingerprints, regardless of whether we want to or not. The impact is the thing. The impact can either be positive or negative...felt or not felt. Have I made a positive impact on the lives of others? When I die, will there be a legacy left behind, bearing my fingerprints?

I like to think so. I hope so.

If not, running in a crash of rhinos will seem pretty pointless...