Something happened today that I wanted to share, so that I can encourage everyone, that all of your actions, no matter how insignificant they might seem, do make a difference.
Some 20-25 years ago, I worked at a local hospital and became friendly with a coworker who was having some personal difficulties, one of which was that her mother had been having quite a long struggle with many emotional issues and mental health problems. The two us car pooled together occasionally, and so I had met her mother a few times, and though I really didnt know her well, my heart went out to them. I was not sure what this girls faith was, but for her birthday, I gave her a small bible in which I wrote the verse John 3:16 inside the cover, if for no other reason than to offer hope and comfort. Not long afterwards, our employment took us in separate directions, and I never knew (or even really thought about, to be honest) what became of this girl and her mother.
Today, I heard from another friend who had run into this person and found that she now owned a business in my line of work and was hiring. Since I had been thinking about changing jobs, I decided to give her a call.
Upon calling the office, the woman who answered told me that the person I was asking for was not in, but to leave a message and she would have her return the call. When I identified myself, this woman enthusiastically greeted me by my first name and asked me how I had been, as if she knew me. This surprised me a little as I had no idea who I was talking to, but then she told me she was my old friends mom and was now working as the receptionist for her daughters business. We talked for a minute or so, and then out of the blue she asked me if I remembered the bible I had given to her daughter, and I said that I did. She went on to tell me how she had taken that bible and read and reread the verse I had written and that it had come to change her life. Later, when I had a chance to talk with my friend, she also mentioned how things had changed for mother after that and had been so much better for the last 20 years or so.
The reason I am sharing this is because it amazed me that I would hear this years and years later. I never preached, evangelized or gave any advice, just simply offered my friend a bible in the hopes that she might find some encouragement. This really made me aware that each little thing we do, like ripples in a pond, has an impact, whether or not we ever know what that impact might be.
Some 20-25 years ago, I worked at a local hospital and became friendly with a coworker who was having some personal difficulties, one of which was that her mother had been having quite a long struggle with many emotional issues and mental health problems. The two us car pooled together occasionally, and so I had met her mother a few times, and though I really didnt know her well, my heart went out to them. I was not sure what this girls faith was, but for her birthday, I gave her a small bible in which I wrote the verse John 3:16 inside the cover, if for no other reason than to offer hope and comfort. Not long afterwards, our employment took us in separate directions, and I never knew (or even really thought about, to be honest) what became of this girl and her mother.
Today, I heard from another friend who had run into this person and found that she now owned a business in my line of work and was hiring. Since I had been thinking about changing jobs, I decided to give her a call.
Upon calling the office, the woman who answered told me that the person I was asking for was not in, but to leave a message and she would have her return the call. When I identified myself, this woman enthusiastically greeted me by my first name and asked me how I had been, as if she knew me. This surprised me a little as I had no idea who I was talking to, but then she told me she was my old friends mom and was now working as the receptionist for her daughters business. We talked for a minute or so, and then out of the blue she asked me if I remembered the bible I had given to her daughter, and I said that I did. She went on to tell me how she had taken that bible and read and reread the verse I had written and that it had come to change her life. Later, when I had a chance to talk with my friend, she also mentioned how things had changed for mother after that and had been so much better for the last 20 years or so.
The reason I am sharing this is because it amazed me that I would hear this years and years later. I never preached, evangelized or gave any advice, just simply offered my friend a bible in the hopes that she might find some encouragement. This really made me aware that each little thing we do, like ripples in a pond, has an impact, whether or not we ever know what that impact might be.
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