Traveling Journal: Harding University (Part 2)

It’s a small world.

We were sitting in the first parent’s session at Harding when I saw a familiar face walk by. It was someone that I was in youth group with over 25 years ago.

When I saw her, it wasn’t memories that flooded my mind but people. Her father, Richard, was the preacher at my home congregation and I thought about how much him and his wife Teresa meant (and mean) to my family.

I thought of Stephen, who taught me how to pray.

I thought of Michael, who taught me how to worship.

I thought of Jim, who taught me how to study the Bible.

I thought of Charles, Jeff, Jason, and Mitch who taught me the Bible.

I thought of Cheryl who taught me how to be a friend.

I thought of Randall, my best friend growing up who has since passed on.

I thought of Willie, whose love for non-Christians was infectious.

I thought of a host of other people who invested in my life and have contributed to making me the man I am today, and I felt grateful.

As we drove home I thought about how some people come into your life for different durations of time. Some people come into your life just for a moment, some for a season, and some for a lifetime. What I find interesting is the time someone spends in your orbit does not necessarily equate to the impact they have on your life.

What is wild to me is the thought that we, as simple and finite human beings, have the ability to change the course of someone’s life with a single word or gesture. The familiar face I saw reminded me of that.

She was a couple years ahead of me in the youth group so needless to say we didn’t talk much. Two years is practically light years apart when you are in High School. She hung out with her people and I hung out with mine.

I do remember very vividly being on a church van driving to some camp or retreat and everyone in the van was singing devotional songs. I, being very new to the youth group and “too cool for school,” wasn’t singing along.

Then everyone began singing the song “Blue Skies and Rainbows,” a song that my grandmother would sing to me as a child, and I decided to sing along. After the song was over, this familiar face turned back and said, “Paul, you have a really nice singing voice.” I sheepishly said, “thanks” and tried to act like her compliment was no big deal…but it was a big deal.

No one had ever complimented my singing before. Honestly, before that time in the van I thought the “singing” part of church was kind of lame. I didn’t understand what the fascination was of singing these songs that I thought were pretty cheesy.

All I know is that with her simple encouragement I felt the confidence to sing with the youth group, and as I sang the songs I started to comprehend the appeal of singing them. They went from being “lame” and “cheesy” to being meaningful and formative.

That one encouragement began a chain reaction that God used to help me see the importance of worship.

Isn’t it funny how one interaction can impact your life? One person. One event. One conversation. One interaction. One compliment. One word.

I want to encourage you with this…make your “one” count.

God may only bring you into someone’s orbit for one moment. Make that moment count.

Be that one person who God uses to start a chain reaction to bring that person closer to God.

Be that one person that someone looks back on after 25 years and thanks God for.

Be that one person who does or says that one thing that brings that one life deeper into the presence of our one God.

Be blessed and be a blessing,

Paul