Those around you depend upon you, as God has intended.

   God has placed you in your unique place in life.  No one else can affect those in your life the way that you can.  Family, friends, extended family, acquaitences, etc.  Only you have your unique relationship with each one of them.  While your faith is private, it is also public and it should feed into all of your relationships.

   You may be the seed, the nurturer, or the harvester for someone else’s faith.  They are on a journey destined from Heaven and you have a role, even if it be small, in their journey to Heaven.  Let us not reach Heaven and realize that we have not fulfilled our role and allowed others to fall into the pits of Hell because of it.

   Of course, God does not need you.  Much like God did not need Mary or Joseph.  But God chose you for this time and with your unique relationships.  Sure, you were not chosen to raise Jesus affecting all of salvation.  But you do impact the salvation of those around you.

   And how do we do it?  It is hard and there will be difficult situations, but if we start with a foundation of love that we want this person in Heaven, we will not fail.  “Jesus, looking at him, loved him” [Mark 10:21]  May the same be said of us.

   Jesus, You love us and desire our eternal salvation.  Help us to lead others to You and their eternal salvation.  Amen.