People Change People

A member of my church Sharon Hartsell has been involved in a mentoring program for students in our county who are classified as homeless. A few years back, Sharon was telling me that her student invited her to a “Character Counts” banquet. In our county, it is quite an achievement and honor for a student to earn this award – any student really, but much more so for someone who lives under tremendous uncertainty and stress. Sharon had been working with this student for almost a year at that point.

At the banquet, each student was allowed to bring someone up onto the stage with them, and say a few words. When they arrived, they noticed that all the other students had parents or grandparents with them.

Sharon’s student invited her to come up with her, and she said to the audience, “I didn’t have a mom or a dad to bring up here with me, so I invited my mentor, Ms. Sharon. And, she really is my mentor… and I’m glad she is here.”

As they were walking off the stage, the Superintendent of the schools, leaned over and said to Sharon, “We save one at a time.”

We save one at a time.

This reminds me of something that my friend Rev. Bob Gamble says. He says that people change people. Yes, education is important – but it takes a teacher. Yes, faith is important, but it takes someone to share that faith and nurture that faith. It is people who change people.

I wonder whose lives you are impacting… I wonder who’s life God may be calling you to touch.

Let us pray: God of Grace, thank you for sending Jesus to touch and change our lives. May our relationships with other people bring grace and peace to them; and to us. Amen.