The Person Who Changed My Life... (Investing in People)

Today, I celebrated the graduation of a student that has been very close to my heart.  This beautiful, young lady started coming to my church as junior high student.  She's particularly special because she has been like a daughter for many years.  This young lady takes me back to when I was sixteen.  I was lonely, isolated, and felt like no one cared whether I existed or not.  This wasn't necessarily the case, but that was how I felt.  Then I had a come to Jesus moment, literally.  When I gave my life to Christ, an amazing woman took me under her wing.  She was 15 years older than me, but looked past the age gap and reached out to me.  I came from a poor family, so travel was practically nonexistent.  This woman taught me how to pray, how to be generous, and drove me to conferences.  I ate in my first Mexican restaurant because of her.  I stayed in hotels and flew on a plane for a mission's trip to another country because of her.  God took a lonely and isolated girl and opened the world to this girl, but it took someone looking past the age gap and reaching out to me.  I will forever be grateful for her obedience to God.    The woman who mentored me is a teacher.  I am now a teacher.  Coincidence?  No!  As I watched my mentor making something of her life, I realized that I could step out of poverty and do something with my life.  I realized that if God sent someone into my life to train me, then I must matter to Him.  So when God places these wonderful young people in my life, how can I not reach out?  How can I not let someone in the same place I was know that they are valuable and matter to God?  You may feel that you can't change this world, but you can change a life.  There are a lot of young people hurting and lonely in this world.  Find someone and invest in their life because one person can change the world, one person at a time!  I'm living proof!  And congratulations, Gwen!  You will move mountains!

Have a great week high-heeled warriors!

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