Update Tuesday - Make A Difference

Sometimes it is about the big splash, an opportunity or event when a lot seems to be accomplished in one concentrated push.  It is easy to point to, easy to see and easy to talk about.  It makes an obvious difference.  

More often then not, however, making a difference is more about an ongoing collection of little things that, over time, add up to be an incremental but sustained push to make a difference.  It is harder to see, harder to point to, and thus often these smaller things are notas heralded and celebrated.  I like to celebrate some of the smaller things and so here are two brief stories.  

A few weeks ago, during one of our monthly street outreaches we got to visit with Jerry.  He is slow, both intelectually as well as physically-he walks at a snails pace.  The last we had seen him he was using a walker but that day he was walking to us very slowly, very unsteadily and with no walker.  When we asked him about it he told us that his walker had been stolen.  This was particularly upsetting to one of our people who had met with and talked with Jerry in the past.  The next week this member of our group was at our sending church in Milton sharing the story when a congregation member stopped him to say she had an extra walker.  We took the walker, and we brought it out to the street with us on the chance that we might see Jerry again.  It was aprovidential  encounter when we saw Jerry shuffling up to us.  We were able to bless him with the walker and to see the smile on his face.

This past Saturday was also a really encouraging time for me.  I have mentioned Roy, a chinese student who had been connected with our Wednesday fellowship since the fall.  He has become a real Person of Peace for us and a gateway.  I asked him if he would like to get together to learn more about Jesus and to practice English at the same time and he said yes.  When he came on Saturday, he brought two friends all eager to read, learn and talk about Jesus.  They have little to no experience with the gospel or any bible stories at all so it is amazing fun to share about things they are hearing for the first time.  To think that this relationship all started with one simple text.  A student in Calgary, who works with a colleague of mine, met Roy in China over the summer.  She found out I work in Hamilton and that Roy would be studying here.  She sent me a text to see if I would contact him.  One simple text and God's providence can lead to great things!!!

So, what small thing can you do today to make a difference?!