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b'Darkness. Mena jolted awake, jumping up off the prickly grass. Where was he? \\xe2\\u20ac\\u0153Is anyone there?\\xe2\\u20ac\\x9d he called out to the emptiness. Silence responded. A memory flashed inside him, of the recent burning anger when he\\u2019d yelled, \\xe2\\u20ac\\u0153No one cares! Nothing makes a difference! It\\u2019s all a waste of time.\\xe2\\u20ac\\x9d Now he was alone. Sweat trickled down his face. \\u201cOh Jesus, help me,\\u201d he prayed. \\u201cWhat\\u2019s happening? Am I in hell?\\u201d\\n\\xe2\\u20ac\\u0153No,\\xe2\\u20ac\\x9d echoed a warm voice, startling him. \\xe2\\u20ac\\u0153Humans are often deceived into believing that their actions are worthless. But God wastes nothing. Acts of kindness, faithfulness, trusting in Jesus, suffering for Him\\u2026God enables His children to do all these things, and through them He demonstrates His love to the world. Watch. Have faith.\\xe2\\u20ac\\x9d\\nAn image of Mena as a child running up to a lonely boy appeared above him. \\xe2\\u20ac\\u0153Let\\u2019s play together!\\xe2\\u20ac\\x9d his younger self said, then disappeared, creating a spark in the sky.\\n\\xe2\\u20ac\\u0153Don\\u2019t worry, Dad. I\\u2019ll always love you,\\xe2\\u20ac\\x9d his ten-year-old self whispered, hugging his father after Mom left unexpectedly. The memory evaporated, leaving a light shining above him. Mena watched more forgotten memories take shape. The people he\\u2019d helped, the kind words he\\u2019d spoken, illuminated the sky. Memories of defending others, of sharing smiles and laughter, shimmered as a beacon of light. Maybe it hadn\\u2019t been a waste of time after all.\\n\\xe2\\u20ac\\u0153You believed in Jesus\\u2019s message, acting on it in a broken, damaged world. It was never you accomplishing these good works, but God was doing good through you, bringing love and hope to people who needed it\\u2014people just as broken as you. This is a glimmer of God\\u2019s amazing love for us all. He sent Jesus for you, to heal the rift between you and Him. Now you get to be part of sharing His good news. Never give up hope, Mena. Even if no one else notices or cares about what you do, God does. You are His precious child. He loves you now and forever.\\xe2\\u20ac\\x9d\\nMena sobbed as the stars shone around him. When the tears stopped, his heart was lighter. \\xe2\\u20ac\\u0153God,\\xe2\\u20ac\\x9d he whispered. \\xe2\\u20ac\\u0153Thank you for reminding me that what I do matters because of you.\\xe2\\u20ac\\x9d The stars spun around and disappeared into daylight. \\u2022 Cindy Lee\\n\\u2022 Can you think of a time you felt like your actions didn\\u2019t matter?\\n\\u2022 Consider asking God to bring to mind moments when you shined His light to other people. \\n\\xe2\\u20ac\\u0153But anyone who lives by the truth comes to the light, so that his works may be shown to be accomplished by God.\\xe2\\u20ac\\x9d John 3:21 (CSB)\\n\\xa0\\nRead Verses:\\nPs.4.8|Amos.6.12|Matt.7.13-Matt.7.14|Jas.1.12|Eccl.1.18'