Absolutely Amazing.

"You're amazing, young lady. Absolutely amazing."

Over the course of my life, I've been given compliments for many reasons: good grades, my writing, my piano-playing, my hair looking cute, blah blah blah, etc. There is one thing, however, I have never been complimented for, until this morning: cleaning baseboards. At work, down on my hands and knees, scrubbing smears of dirt. Not expecting any thanks, not seeking praise, not feeling particularly noteworthy--just doing my job. And then a man walks in, sees me performing this menial, lowly task (not even a task I volunteered for, but a task for which I am getting paid), and tells me, in an awe-filled voice, that I'm amazing.

I was floored. And filled with joy. That in such an unremarkable circumstance, someone could still find me remarkable. And I suddenly understood with a deeper clarity why this was the job God had granted me.

Because today, God gave me a new lesson in something I already knew, but desperately needed to be reminded of: We can be amazing wherever we are. It doesn't matter what position we're in by the world's standards, whether we're a senator or the cashier at a fast-food restaurant, running a corporation or scrubbing floors. It is not the work we do that defines us, but how we accomplish the work we've been given.

We all have a sphere of influence. We are all called to be amazing and given the opportunity to do so. "In all the work you are doing, work the best you can. Work as if you were doing it for the Lord, not for people," (Colossians 3:23, emphasis added). Even if we never get to hear the praise for it. Even if God's the only one who sees--for it is the things done in secret that God blesses above all others (Matthew 6:4, 6, 18).

And one last thing: Don't ever pass up an opportunity to tell someone they're amazing. Whether it's a loved one you see everyday, or a stranger you may never meet again, whether it's someone who is serving you or someone you are serving--look for the beauty in the lives of others, and call it out. A few kind words was all it took to shift the perspective of my entire day. We need to open our eyes to the potential impact we can have on the lives of others. We need to start seeing people as the names and faces and hearts that God loves and has called us to love. This is how we become like Jesus. This is how we change the world.