The Impact of One

If a tree falls in the forest and there is no one to hear it, does it make a sound? Aw yes, this is question men have pondered for the ages, but today it found resolution in my heart. It indeed does make a sound and though we may never know of the impact it has made the evidences of its actions are felt throughout the land.

A funeral was the setting of this revelation. She was a Godly woman, full of feisty quips and a contagious laugh. She was small in stature but huge in heart. She lived as though every child in the world was her son or daughter and she loved each one as only a mother could.

For almost twenty-eight years she served as a Minister of Preschool Children at a large Protestant Church. Three generations of children had come through her Bible Studies, Vacation Bible Schools, Mission Education programs, and Childcare Development Center. She was oft times the first one to tell them about the Jesus she had grown to love and serve so selflessly.

As I looked around, the church was packed with people she had touched in one way or another. Hundreds and hundreds of people sat with tear-filled eyes as they listened to commentary on an extraordinary, but yet ordinary, little Texas lady.

During her life I wonder if she pondered the influence she had on the lives of so many? I think she probably didn’t; not because it wasn’t important, but she simply wasn’t one to think much about herself or her needs. She was a servant of the first order and did it all with the dignity and quietness of a true saint. She tirelessly cared for an ailing husband and an aging mother while constantly expanding her ministry to preschool children at her church.

As I listened to the accolades of those who knew her and worked with her, I couldn’t help but think how indeed temporary this world really is. This is NOT our home. I couldn’t help but be just a bit jealous about where she is and what she is experiencing in the presence of God.

But it also made me stop and think about my life; my living. What would anyone say about me? Could they say about me what they said about her? Could they give testimony to my selfless dedication to anything? Were there enough people who really knew me to be ale to speak honestly of my heart and my life? Such selfish questions in the midst of such horrific tragedy – I guess it shows the wickedness of my own heart.

I was moved to tears not because I doubt where she is at this very moment, but for the beacon of light she was each and every day as she carried out her life and her work with passion and purpose. The world is a little darker without her presence

She didn’t have any newspaper reporters taking pictures or getting interviews with the people that attended. There will be no fanfare at her burial or dedications and/or declarations at City Hall. She was a quiet servant who often times went unnoticed by most unless they happen to have a preschool child. But her lack of notoriety did not diminish the depth of her investment in the lives of people. She made an impact and that impact will not quickly be forgotten.

It is an honor to take part in a memorial service for one so very special, but it is an even greater honor to see the impact that she has made in the lives and hearts of so very many.

So today a very small tree with a giant canopy fell and there were a few to hear it. But when it fell, its branches were so wide and its roots so outstretched that there were very few in all the forest that did not feel the bush of its wind in falling or the tug of moving roots beneath their feet. Everyone was effected and everyone seemed to be touched. One small tree made a very big difference.

What a tribute to a life well lived and even better invested.

The power of One. In a day when big crowds and large venues are the norm, when everyone is counting numbers and bigger is always better, there is a resounding cry from one little lady who lived her life dedicated to making an impact on ONE little baby at a time. Our Heavenly Father can't help but smile and say "enter in to your place of rest; well done!" as he points to a sea of of people touched by a woman one person at a time.

May we never forget the lesson of reaching, touching, helping, caring, educating, sharing, and loving just ONE.