Recently I attended a talk by an architect, focussing on his design process. It was interesting to hear the steps he goes through, the simplicity of his approach, the creation of a good design. It reminded me of a comment I’d seen earlier: that someone has a favourite mug which you bought them, a book you recommended, a song which reminds them of you. In small and simple ways, we shape the design of each other’s lives.

I thought back to an interview I heard, in which a person was asked about the influential figures in his life. He came out with the standard answers: his wife, children, friends… then stopped. It dawned on him that these were the people who supported and loved him, for which he was grateful. The influential figures, though, were the tough people who’d given him a hard time, made him fight to become the person he was. Hurt people can hurt others, but it doesn’t have to be that way.

Christians believe that God designed us all and has plans for our lives. The bible also tells us that God looked at man and realised it was not good for man to be alone. It’s fascinating to recognise that the early pages of the bible highlight loneliness as an issue, which God addressed. You may know someone going through a hard time, being hurt by circumstances or those around them. Could you help to reshape their life, even in a seemingly small way?

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