Several years ago, one of my dearest friends and I were planning to host our youth group’s first Operation Christmas Child packing party. We were excited for the big day to come so we announced the party in youth group and in the church builtin.

As the day of the party grew closer and closer, we were worried. What if nobody showed up? The party couldn’t be a success without a bunch of people coming and packing shoe boxes. I remember my friend and I exchanging nervous looks across our youth room. We wandered over to each other and decided to pray. After we prayed, we counted the people who we knew for sure were coming. The number was around ten.

We were bummed that so few people were planning on showing up… until one of us thought about how Jesus only had twelve followers and yet He changed the world. After that we weren’t too worried about how many people would come. We knew God would help the few of us pack as many shoe boxes as possible to help as many children as possible.

I think we as people get caught up by numbers a lot. We focus on how many people attend an event or follow us on social media. We think that if we don’t help a bunch of people, then we haven’t made a difference.

In our quest for numbers, we often forget that each individual number represents a person. A person who has a life. A person who has hopes and fears and secrets. A person in need of a friend.

I have learned that I will not change the world. Jesus will do that. I can, however, change the world for one person. So I keep stopping and loving one person at a time. Because this is my call as a Christian.
-Katie Davis

When I first heard that quote, it rocked my world. {It still rocks my world, in fact :) } It’s so true! Only Jesus can change the world, but He chooses to use His people to change the world for one person.

-...I can, however, change the world for

God places people in our lives for a reason. Do we love them or look over them?

So today, I encourage us to keep our eyes open wide for the people around us. May we see who God has placed in our lives and have the wisdom to know how to reach out to them! May we see individual faces in the crowd of numbers! And may God use us to change the world for one person!

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