CHAPTER 12

THE POWER OF ONE

God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them.

HEBREWS 6:10, NIV

I BELIEVE THAT ONE individual can make a difference. Romans 5:18-19 tells us, “Yes, Adam’s one sin brings condemnation for everyone, but Christ’s one act of righteousness brings a right relationship with God and new life for everyone. Because one person disobeyed God, many became sinners. But because one other person obeyed God, many will be made righteous” (emphasis added).

All you need to make a difference is to obey God and be willing to step out and serve those in need. That’s it! If you are willing, you can prevent a child from dying of starvation. You can prevent men and women from going hungry. You can prevent a family from being torn apart. You can prevent a teenager from struggling in school because of not being able to read. You can prevent someone from being homeless. The God of heaven, who is the same yesterday, today, and forever; who parted the sea for Moses; stopped the sun for Joshua; and raised Jesus from the dead, is the same God who loves you, is on your side, and fights for you.

What One Can Do

History has been shaped by influential people, both negatively and positively. Time and time again, one person has done something that has affected many others. Remember the Invisible Children documentary I mentioned in chapter 1? A woman, Alice “Lakwena” Auma, began the insurgency called the Holy Spirit movement, against the government in Uganda in 1986, leading a rebellion that Joseph Kony inherited. Because of her initial efforts, untold millions have been murdered, displaced, and abducted in the last twenty-six years, and the numbers continue to grow because the war is still going on.

Margaret Sanger founded Planned Parenthood, an organization that performs 1.2 million abortions in the United States every year.26 Not only are babies killed, but the women who terminate their pregnancies suffer emotional brokenness.

Thankfully, there are many people who have championed outstanding positive causes. I am fortunate to have had the chance to meet current world changers such as . . .

And the list could go on and on, organizations throughout the world that are making a difference in millions of people’s lives because one person was willing to step out and speak up.

All of these amazing leaders have found their trigger. They took the time to look long enough to be compelled into action. Though the injustice they are helping to eliminate breaks their hearts, they have also found great joy and satisfaction in being a part of the solution. Know what I’ve noticed about them? They are confident and at peace. They live a big life with an eye on what’s really important.

We Can Make a Difference

No matter how daunting the amount of suffering is in this world or the number of people who are in need, we in the Christian army are not outnumbered. I believe the biggest injustice is that although these problems would be easy for us to fix, we haven’t yet done so. I think about the statistic I mentioned earlier—18.5 million orphaned children around the world. With over two billion believers in the global community, it would take less than one percent of willing Christians to adopt these kids and every orphan would have a home.

You might be scared that God is asking you to be part of that one percent. Remember, God wants what you want. If He puts an issue on your heart that requires your willingness, that passion will ultimately override your fear. Take it from me and so many others: when God asks you to do something, you’ll quickly discover that you can’t say no. It’s all you’ll think about!

Get Others Involved

If you’re inspired, recruit your friends or members of your community to champion your cause. Get them involved and marvel in the collective effort you can make.

Take a cue from the efforts of the early church. “All the believers were united in heart and mind. And they felt that what they owned was not their own, so they shared everything they had. The apostles testified powerfully to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and God’s great blessing was upon them all. There were no needy people among them, because those who owned land or houses would sell them and bring the money to the apostles to give to those in need” (Acts 4:32-35). What an example for us to follow today. The early Christians worked together as a unified front. And as a result, no one around them was in need.

It might sound a little extreme to sell your property or your home. But I don’t believe these followers of Christ sold all they owned and were homeless or lacked necessities. The Bible doesn’t tell us that they gave so much that their lifestyle had to change. They were simply willing to give freely and with a cheerful heart.

Be Willing

All of my close friends help serve others and make a difference in some way. They use their time, energy, and passions to love on others. I am proud and blessed to have friends who put their willingness into action as volunteers.

With seven-year-old twins, a husband, a home, and a number of pets (I can’t keep track of how many because she is always taking more in—a great sign of a willing spirit!), my friend Merrilee is always busy. For the last few years, she’s been helping out at the Dream Center as a case manager for a few families living on our family floor. Her caring involvement will change the direction not only of their immediate future, but for generations to come. Merrilee treats these families as her own and is proud when they make strides—big and small—to better their lives.

Leah, a wife and a mother of two young boys, owns a small business with her husband. Every few months, her whole family volunteers for an intense week or two at the Dream Center, tackling large projects. Recently, the family joined the volunteer crew to paint the exterior of the church, saving us $60,000.

Danise looks way too young to have two grown kids. Most of the time, she helps her husband with his landscaping business. But once a week, Danise drives an hour to help at the Dream Center. She serves as a women’s counselor and teaches an evening Bible study. (Check out her blog at http://danisejurado.com.)

Start Simply

Don’t allow insecurities or feelings of inadequacy or not having a full-time position in ministry to prevent you from stepping out and walking on water. Don’t underestimate what you can bring to the table when God is involved.

Do something as simple as taking time to teach someone to read. It will change not only their future but their children’s future. Taking the time to teach a struggling young woman about finances and budgeting might be what changes her life from merely surviving to thriving. Teaching a foster child or young adult in an impoverished community to cook could ignite a passion that may turn into a successful career. Using your extra time to clean a single mother’s house may be the momentary respite she needs to keep her from having a nervous breakdown. Your hug might be what breaks preconceived beliefs of racism.

A friend of mine started her own Adopt-A-Block program in Sweden. While the area in which she serves doesn’t have the same needs as those in Los Angeles, she has found that loneliness is a major need. Simply visiting with people has given them hope that they matter to someone and to God and has breathed life back into their souls.

I don’t know what God has laid on your heart. I don’t know what your trigger is. I don’t know where your passion lies. The most important thing is to begin somewhere. Do some research online. Contact and talk to people who are on the front lines, making a difference. Start close to home and look around your own neighborhood. Find a need that you can fill or a way to help someone. Support a cause financially or in other ways. If necessary, be willing to get your hands dirty.

Fight On

Though I believe beyond a shadow of a doubt that we can make a difference, individually and collectively, I’m not naive. I know there are times when serving others doesn’t yield the positive results everyone expects. Sometimes the people you help refuse to help themselves. There may be days when it seems like your efforts are futile and your time has been wasted. It’s easy to get discouraged and give up, but I want to encourage you to keep on walking.

What if the single mother you sacrifice so much time, attention, and maybe even finances for doesn’t change her life and ends up pregnant again? You have every right to feel used and taken advantage of. But do you quit? Of course not! You might have to make adjustments to the way you help, but you keep on serving.

Everyone has a different way of accepting opportunities to improve themselves or their situation. Some people graciously accept help and are willing to do whatever it takes to get better. Other folks don’t value the opportunity, squander it, and feel entitled to get another one.

We have taken in some extremely broken people at the Dream Center. They are broken by circumstances out of their control or by bad choices they have made. Sometimes both. There have been moments when I’ve tried so hard to help someone but to no avail. I’ve been tempted to give up and let some other program, team, or person do it. But I know that God is the One who can change them, and I must remain hopeful that He will.

When those you serve don’t appreciate your help, continue to serve with a thankful heart. Let it be a reminder of how gracious and merciful God has been to you. Regardless of the outcome of your commitment to serve others, you will still reap the benefits God has promised to those who serve.

The Joys of Serving

There is an indescribable joy that comes from being obedient. When all is said and done, you have willingly been part of a greater cause.

I remember the day Matthew came home from a grueling fund-raising trip and immediately headed to Ramona Gardens, an Adopt-A-Block site.

The little girls at the site’s weekly Bible study painted his fingernails to make him an “official part” of their team. He feasted on delicious spicy beans and rice with the families. He was encouraged by what the handful of teenage girls who were going through our church’s purity classes were doing to change their lives. When Matthew came home that night, he was beaming.

On that day I discovered that Matthew’s best days in ministry had nothing to do with preaching in large arenas or megachurches in front of hundreds of thousands of people. It had nothing to do with hobnobbing with celebrities or being a guest on a major television network news channel. His favorite days were being with and loving those who had nothing to give him other than themselves.

Reaping Eternal Rewards

I feel compelled to serve others because I know I am investing my time, efforts, and energy into something that is eternal and cannot be destroyed. Something that cannot rust, get old, break down, or go out of style. Jesus encourages us, “Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be” (Matthew 6:19-21).

One day when I was working at a site with group of short-term missions team volunteers, a woman said, “Caroline, I’ve seen you here for a couple of years doing the same thing. You’re a bright and beautiful young lady. When are you finally going to do something real with your life? When are you going to go to college or work on your career? Or have enough money to buy a house or make investments?”

I’m sure she had good intentions with her questions, but I was taken aback. What each of us does at the Dream Center isn’t for the here and now; it’s for eternity. Our food truck ministry, for instance, is not just about handing out food. We use food as a tool to draw people closer to God and to offer them the gift of salvation.

I told her that though I appreciated her concerns, I felt called to full-time ministry. As the woman walked away, I felt sorry for her and her limited vision of what this life is about. Who cares if I never go to college? Who cares if I never own a home? Who cares if I couldn’t buy fancy new clothes? Who cares if my car was made the same year I was born? I know God doesn’t. Material things and humanly devised plans are mere shadows of the treasures that are stored up in heaven, treasures of soul significance stored in the broken clay pots of our lives.

God has a funny way of bringing things full circle. Today I have a house, new clothes, a car that’s younger than I am—all those material things—but I didn’t have to get them working twelve hours a day outside of my calling at the Dream Center. And as nice as my new car is, I accomplished a lot of ministry with my Volvo clunker.

God doesn’t call each and every one of us into full-time mission work or ministry. And certainly there is nothing wrong with having a house, a car, nice clothes, or a career or job outside of the church. We just need to live to impact people for eternity. This goal is the same for a stay-at-home mom, a CEO, a youth pastor, or a student. Investing in the lives of others and being a variable in any equation that fills a need is what truly matters.

Everything You Do Matters

Use whatever willingness you have. And know that it will change, depending on the season in your life. Don’t become stressed if you can’t give or do more at certain times in your life. The key to being a good and faithful servant of God is to continually give and do what God calls you to give and do.

If you are willing to donate a hundred dollars a year to a charity or volunteer once a week, do it. Everything counts. Every act of obedience makes a difference because God will always multiply your efforts. Jesus fed a crowd of five thousand with five loaves and two fish that a little boy was willing to give. If he hadn’t been willing to give what little he had, all five thousand people would have gone hungry that day.

Don’t worry if you don’t have the resources, either. You don’t have to have a big building, a warehouse of food, or a multimillion-dollar budget to walk on water. God can use you in miraculous ways to make life better one person at a time.

I like the apostle Paul’s words:

I thought I should send these brothers ahead of me to make sure the gift you promised is ready. But I want it to be a willing gift, not one given grudgingly.

Remember this—a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop. But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop. You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. “For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.” And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others. As the Scriptures say,

“They share freely and give generously to the poor.

Their good deeds will be remembered forever.”

2 CORINTHIANS 9:5-9 (EMPHASIS ADDED)

There are so many remarkable opportunities for you to be a part of the healing that needs to take place in this world. The great news is that all you need is the willingness to do it. Become God’s ambassador during your lifetime. Find your post and fill your position.

Walking on water is not just a story in the Bible. It’s a reality. It’s a way to live life with purpose.

It’s time to get out of the boat.