WHAT A DIFFERENCE!

How many times in life have we heard someone say, "What a difference!"

How many times in life have we heard someone say to us, "You've changed! You're different. In fact, what a difference!"

And for days afterwards we wondered,  "What were they talking about? What did they mean?"

Was it the new glasses?

Was it the new hairdo?

Every year our parish - along with our schools and our religious education programs - has a theme for the year - coinciding with the school year. 

This year our theme is, "Go Make A Difference!"

Obviously, it's not about looks or glasses - but about attitudes and values, service and loving our brothers and sisters.

Change is slow....

Change is invisible - sort of.... well while changing.

Wrinkles have a slow crawl - so too beards - and so too tires on our cars - wearing out - slowly.

When we get new tires - better - when we get a new car, "What a difference."

A son or a daughter falls in love.... and their face, their way of being with us .... changes. What a difference!

A younger sister is always in her older sister's shadow - then the older sister goes off to college - at a distance - and the younger sister comes out of her hole - out of her room - it's Groundhog's day and she is no longer in her sister's shadow. Grandma says to son - her dad - about her, "Wow, she's changed. What a difference!"

A couple are fighting - fighting - fighting - till their 3 kids one night are all alone - and mom and dad are both out somewhere - but not together - and all 3 talk about their parents. Surprise, both parents come home almost at the same time and the oldest daughter says in a commanding voice, "Mom ... Dad ... sit!"

Then she says, "We were just talking about you. Enough is enough. Either break up or go for counseling. The status quo stinks. The 3 of us are sick and tired of hearing both of you, bickering, bickering, bickering."

Silence. 

And mom and dad are shocked, surprised, stunned, and they go for counseling. 

And a few years later, while at the microphone for their 25th anniversary, they tell their  kids and family and friends, "We wouldn't be here today - except for our kids. What a difference they made in our life! Thank you!"

Tears.

A class bully moved to the west coast - and the following year - the kids in that class on the east coast said in a dozen different ways, "When he was gone. What a difference in our class!"

The shy kid gets in the band.... The lazy kid gets on the football team.... The grandmother in the nursing home discovers BINGO ... The widower discovers bridge .... A woman's group decides to get Fitbits - and besides their reading group - they become a walking group - 2 days a week. 

What a difference.

Jesus heals a blind person - a guy with a withered hand - and saves a woman who was about to be stoned to death.

What a difference.

Someone reads his and changes for the better.... and someone seeing them, experiencing them says, "What a difference!"