Investing
The running joke for FFA members has always been that our organization allows you to meet and become friends with incredible people from across the nation. People who make you better, accept you, and inspire you. Then, you have to go home without knowing when you will see them again. Whether you meet them at Washington Leadership Conference, National Convention, State Conference for Chapter Leaders, or even a district event. Ever since my junior year of high school, I’ve known the struggle of long distance friendships.
I’ve had the opportunity to make amazing friendships with members from across Kansas, like Ali, Chris, Kyler, Gracie and others. I’ve been so blessed with the opportunity to meet others who inspire me and remind me of my purpose. Yet, it’s hard to keep up when distance & schedules separate us. We all have the incredible opportunity to meet and connect with so many yet the opportunities to continue and build those connections are difficult to find.
I’ve found myself wishing recently that there was some sort of way to live off of simply being a full-time friend. I’ve dreamed up an entire scenario- I’d spend my time travelling from place to place: grabbing coffee, going on late night sonic runs, and having deep life chats. Imagine! I would have enough time to invest in all of the incredible people I’ve encountered. From Kansas, to Germany, to South Korea, and beyond. These day dreams quickly vanish, however, when I remember that isn’t quite how the world works.
It’s frustrating to be gifted with so many incredible people, yet not be able to invest in them how I want to.
That’s when I realized that in this season, with these friendships, investing might look a little bit different. Though we like to connect with others by being with each other in person, what’s important is the intentional time you give them. That can be writing letters, sharing a song, or sending up a quick prayer. The thought and time you give them is what strengthens those relationships and will sustain them until you can be together again.
I was reminded of how impactful those small moments of intentional time can be when my friend Josiah Cruikshank took time out of his day to invest in me. It wasn’t a big, extravagant gesture. It was the simple act of picking up the phone for a quick facetime and taking a moment to share something we both love- snow! Being thoughtful and intentional creates special moments that leaves a positive impact on the other person.
We all have someone, or a few someones, that deserve a few moments of our intentional time. Whether they live 12 hours away or 12 blocks.
How can you take a moment out of your day to leave that positive impact?
With intention,
Abby