A Little Girl’s Inspiring Legacy: Christina-Taylor Green
By Anna McKenzie
On behalf of Worthy Publishing

A Crater of Compassion

“Christina, just a little girl, holds the wisdom of a wise woman. She wanted to make a difference with her life, to make her mark. She has done so in such a powerful way that even she could not have imagined.” – Most Reverend Gerald Kicanas, Bishop of the Tucson Diocese, As Good As She Imagined

Craters on the earth and the moon reveal where objects from space have hit solid ground. The rocks themselves aren’t still there, but we can see how they forever changed the landscape where they landed. Craters come in all shapes and sizes, but physical craters are not the only kind that exist.

In a different way, emotional and social craters have left an impact on the cultural landscape of humanity. People who were ambassadors hope and peace, like Jesus, have made a tremendous effect on society. Joy leaves a mark. Justice distinguishes itself. And in so many ways, compassion leaves a mighty crater behind.

Christina-Taylor was a compassionate child. But it wasn’t just that; she was always out to make a difference and to change things markedly for the better. In whatever she did, she wanted to make an impact.

To make an impact, you have to have a lot of momentum. And you have to be on a collison course with the current way of thinking, acting or operating. You have to be willing to shake things up, to reframe the conversation, and to alter the entire landscape of where you’re headed. It is not for the faint of heart. It is not for those who approach it in a so-so manner, with an average appetite for change.

It’s for those who want to make a really, really big crater.

Christina was seeking a big crater effect. She was helpful in more ways than the average nine year old when it came to charity and service. She was a good influence on her friends and a role model in the classroom. She strengthened her family and had a desire to excel in every activity she engaged in. She had plenty of plans to do great things and left behind a measurable mark of where she had touched the lives of other people.

It’s the kind of mark that has stayed in people’s hearts. It’s the kind of impression that we return to, the kind that enables us to recognize the influence that compassion really has. God wants us to make a serious impact on the people around us in good and powerful ways, and Christina has left her impression. What will ours look like?

This blog is about Christina’s life, and it is based on the book As Good As She Imagined, released January 3, 2012.

***To hear more about the Green family and their story, look for them in the January/February issue of Homecoming Magazine and in Significant Living Magazine in May. ***