Everybody Somebody Nobody Anybody

By Pam Kumpe 

I can’t stop thinking about this year, especially after I looked back at some of the important stories for 2008. Take Pastor Rick Warren of Saddleback Church in California. He hosted a meeting with President-elect Barack Obama and with John McCain. This forum heighted the evangelical vote in a new way, at least for me. And when the Olympics aired from China in August, I read how tens of thousands of bilingual Bibles and New Testaments were printed for the Games.

Then, Alaska Governor Sarah Palin accepted McCain’s nomination as his Vice Presidential running mate, and her confidence and commitment rallied me to take a stand for my convictions.

Even former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee made a credible run for president this year, and now he’s a host on Fox News. Yes, following the campaign trail challenged me, and I want to put actions behind my Christian talk, by making it more of a daily walk. I’m on a campaign for God in a new fresh way.

Life is short. It can end quickly, like when the cyclone in May took an estimated 150,000 lives in Burma. Then ten days later, 87,000 people died in a massive earthquake in China, most of them children. China has a one-child policy. How many of those parents lost their only child? I can’t help but wonder, if any of the people who died had ever read the Bible, or heard of Jesus’ love.

So what should I do? What does this mean for me? How can I reach out? Am I making a difference? Did I even make an impact in 2008?

That’s right; this is the time of year where many people are actually willing to think about what they’d like to achieve in the New Year. It’s not a time for idle wishes. I want to dig deeper and look at my true intentions. What will I do with 2009?

What about you? What are your intentions? What do you find meaning in? What are you passionate about? Who are you campaigning for? Think about it. When did you last share what God has done for you? Or speak about Jesus? Or quote a scripture that holds meaning for you?
We have opportunity to change things. To create lasting marks. To help. To touch. To love. We have a choice. The New Year is clean. No regrets. No missed opportunities. No mistakes. We can spread the Good News of Jesus, and we can help, touch, love and serve.

I don’t want to become like the four guys who thought the job was for someone else.

Their names were Everybody, Somebody, Nobody, and Anybody. When there was an important job to be done, Everybody was sure that Somebody would do it. Anybody could have done it, but Nobody did it. When Nobody did it, Everybody got angry because it was Everybody’s job. Everybody thought that Somebody would do it. But Nobody realized that Nobody would do it. So it ended up that Everybody blamed Somebody when Nobody did what Anybody could have done in the first place.

In Proverbs 6:6 it states “Go to the ants, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise.” So what are you waiting for? Everyone has purpose within their sphere of influence. Live where you are. Love when you can. And look for chances to change a life, because if you aren’t doing what God called you to do, it may not get done. Just ask Everybody, Somebody, Nobody, and Anybody!

Pam Kumpe is an inspirational newspaper columnist for the Bowie County Life/ Texarkana Gazette in East Texas. She hosts a podcast “Daybreak Devotionals” and has taught Kids Super Church for 20 years. She’s the author of “See You in the Funny Papers,” – A Bit of Good News, and a co-host on KLBW Christian Radio. For more about Pam go to www.pamkumpe.com

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