How powerful is one thought? One kind word? One action?
How about this…one particular virus entering one person…one day in December 2019....
One man with one destructive ideology and one fierce passion led to the Holocaust, a genocide of some six million European Jews during World War II.
One woman full of courage and selflessness saved many lives, lifted up wounded souls, and gave hope to many during and after these atrocities of World War II. Corrie ten Boom was a Dutch watchmaker, who along with her family, harbored hundreds of Jews in their home and helped them to escape from the Nazis. When Corrie was captured and taken to concentration camps, she encouraged and lifted up her fellow prisoners. Surviving and being set free from the extermination camp of Ravensbruck, she dedicated the rest of her life to sharing a message of hope and forgiveness to victims of the Holocaust as well as former Nazi sympathizers.
One ice storm in Amarillo, Texas, my daughter had one library book. The power lines were down, so we sat under a blanket on the couch and read The Hiding Place, by Corrie ten Boom. This courageous woman became my hero, and many years after World War II, thinking of her encourages me to live a life of courage, hope, and forgiveness.
One night, one man, one statement…
Every person ever born has a gift. And when one person dies
without sharing their gift, we all lose.
~~Dr Clyde Rivers, I Change Nations
One person, one gift, changes the world. For better or for worse. We get to choose.
I’ll be honest here. I often feel insignificant, that what I say or do doesn’t really matter much. I go back and forth between wanting to change the world, and being apathetic, because what does it really matter anyway.
And then I remind myself of the faith and courage of Corrie ten Boom.
And the faith and courage of my father-in-law, who contracted polio as a toddler and lost all the muscle function of one leg. Billy Ray Rogers accomplished all the things the doctors said he wouldn’t be able to do— walk, ride a bike, drive a stick shift car, and climb tall towers at Dow Chemical, on a small vertical ladder to work on the instrumentation at the top—with the use of one good leg. His greatest legacy was his giving, serving, loving nature, always ready to help someone in need; his honesty and integrity; and —not just his determination— but his enthusiasm about overcoming any obstacle or challenge. He was a simple man. If he were alive today, he would be shocked to know that his son had written a book about his character. The impact of his character will influence the lives of many others.
Every single person is valuable. Every person is so valuable that when one person does not share their gift, we are all missing out.
Do you know how powerful YOU are? Do you know the power of one thought, one word, one action?
Do you know the power of one word of encouragement, one hug, one unexpected compliment?
One choice that cascades through the corridors of history.
One step of honor that initiates a connection that wasn’t there before you took that one step. One act of forgiveness.
One gift shared with the world around you.
One gift shared “for better” makes this world a better place.
Do you know the Power of YOU?
Martha J Rogers is the author of Living in The World of Shapes.
Living in The World of Shapes, page 5
Unlocking the Power of Fatherhood by Gary D Rogers -- the story of Billy Ray Rogers & more
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