Can One Voice REALLY Be Loud Enough?

It takes Passion to keep going.

Am I the only one who is guilty of seeing something that needs to be changed, yet at times holding onto that warped thinking of "Well, someone else will come along {who's better qualified, more educated, smarter, etc.} and they will take care of this."   Whether it's an issue in the community, in the state, in the nation, or in the world...it's often so easy to just think that my one little voice isn't loud enough to make a difference.  But what if everyone thought that?  And those people who DO prove to be loud enough - what makes them so special and more powerful?  Granted, we are all born with different gifts and strengths...we are born with different likes and dislikes.  But at the basis of human life there are some things that are always wrong.  And those wrongs are things we should raise our voices against.  

Wilbur Wilberforce was a very loud voice against slavery.  More precisely, he could be called a solo voice in the fight during much of his life.  He was not always popular, and at times his fight against slavery took everything out of him.  It affected his health, his relationships, his mind, his strength.  What he never lacked was passion - and that was what his fight against something so wrong could never take.  Maybe that is where we often get lost with the power behind our voice: in our true PASSION.  Passion for fellow humans.  Passion for Truth.  Passion for Jesus.  The Apostle Paul was another man of passion.  His passion first started as a Pharisee against Jesus; he was passionate to uphold the Jewish law.  But when He met and fell in love with the CREATOR of the law, his passions changed.  He then wanted to change the world around him, and bring to light the Truth that would then bring real change.  He was one very loud voice for the cause of Christ.  

My life has been anything but always exemplary.  Looking back along the road of my journey there are stains of mistakes, disappointments, hurts and stumbles.  But rather than seeing each of those marks as reasons to keep quiet, I can choose to hold tightly to the lessons learned, the blessings bestowed and strengths gained - and I can find a way to use my voice to help others.  My voice CAN be loud enough if I have the passion to fuel it against the things in this world that are wrong.  I don't have to be a Wilbur Wilberforce, or an Apostle Paul to make a difference...I can simply be Donna Kay, and my voice can still matter. 

When I think about the end of my life and what words will be on my headstone, I think of words like "diligent, persistent, passionate, kind"...this is the legacy I want to leave behind for others to remember. So this must be the life I choose to live to build that legacy.  

What is your passion?  What do you use your energy to fight for in this life?  We all have choices every day as to where we will speak up, and where we will be silent.  Make those choices wisely, and let your voice make a difference in this world.