I read this quote the other day, and it stuck with me: ‘Helping one person might not change the world, but it could change the world for one person’.
As I thought about this, I was reminded of a story I heard when I was in rehab in 2004, which really touched my heart. It was about Pastor Bill Wilson, founder of Metro World Child.
When Bill was 12 years old, his mother abandoned him on a street corner. He was there for three days waiting for her to return, but she never did.
A local mechanic, named Dave Rudenis, spotted Bill and took him home and fed him. Dave was a committed Christian. Long story short, Dave paid for Bill to go on a church summer camp, and while he was there, he encountered the unconditional love of Jesus and became a Christian. Bill’s world began to change, and he ended up going to seminary and obtaining a degree in theology.
Moved by a passion to reach inner-city children with the gospel, Bill went on to pioneer one of the first bus ministries in the United States. This was over 40 years ago. Now, the ministry reaches 250,000 children every single week and is the largest Sunday school project in America. Isn’t God good?
During this time, Bill has been shot at (multiple times), stabbed, beaten and hospitalized, but all this has not stopped him playing his part. In fact, every incident made him even more determined.
Once, when being interviewed on Christian television, he was asked this question: ‘Bill, when did you receive the call?’. He replied, ‘I’ve never received the call’ and went on to say, ‘The need is the call’. Take a moment to think about this statement. It’s true, isn’t it? We can spend a lot of time trying to work out what ‘the call’ is and miss the opportunity to meet the needs of those around us. I love what Hebrews 13:16 says:
‘We will show mercy to the poor and not miss an opportunity to do acts of kindness for others, for these are the true sacrifices that delight God’s heart.’
I thank God that Dave the mechanic responded to the need that he saw and reached out to that 12-year-old boy called Bill. What an act of kindness! Dave played his part and changed the world of one person—and look at the ripple effect.
Ask yourself this question today: ‘What part am I playing?’. Remember, your helping one person might not change the world, but it could change the world for that person. Why not check out Bill’s full story? It’s fascinating.
Rod
Rod Williams is the Evangelism Lead at CAP (Christians Against Poverty) UK. His is the Author of Real Deal and he is one of our Trustees.