The Impact of One Person

“I want to make a difference!” How often have you heard these words – or expressed them yourself? Have you ever wondered what difference you’re actually making in this world, if any? 

Many aging Baby Boomers wonder about this. Having devoted their lives to the pursuit of success and fulfillment, they’re hoping to have accomplished something of lasting significance. People who work in “behind the scenes” professions, where their work is unlikely to merit much public notice, often wonder what difference they’re making in society. From experience, I know that writers, largely a solitary, introverted lot, pour our hearts onto a page or computer screen not knowing who’s reading what we write. Or how they’re responding.

Some people dismiss the what difference am I making question altogether, replacing it with the more skeptical, “What difference can one person make anyway?” How can a single individual have an noteworthy effect on more than a handful of folks in their immediate sphere of influence?

Maybe that was the motivation behind the mournful Three Dog Night song of late ‘60s, “One Is the Loneliest Number.” Yes, usually we can accomplish much more working with others than we can alone. But let’s not underestimate the impact of one person.

Anne Sullivan (right) works with deaf and blind
Helen Keller in this public domain photo from
the New England Historic Genealogical Society.

Think of Desmond Doss, the conscientious objector in World War II portrayed in the film, “Hacksaw Ridge.” Doss refused to carry a weapon because of his religious convictions, but serving in the unarmed role of medic was personally responsible for saving the lives of dozens of wounded soldiers. He received the Congressional Medal of Honor for his acts of bravery and selflessness.

Or consider author, activist and lecturer Helen Keller, who became the first deaf-blind person to earn a bachelor of arts degree. It was her teacher, Anne Sullivan, who was able to break through young Helen’s sensory isolation, helping her to communicate, learn, and develop into a highly accomplished woman despite her disabilities.

As we read the Scriptures, we find numerous examples of God using individuals to carry out His purposes. Noah and his ark, as well as Jonah the reluctant prophet, come to mind. There was Joseph, responsible for bringing the people of Israel to Egypt during a devastating famine, and even Rahab, a prostitute who protected the Israelite spies as they sized up Jericho.

But there’s someone else who was called to my attention recently: Philip the apostle, who had an unexpected encounter with an Ethiopian eunuch on the desert road from Jerusalem to Gaza. In the story, recounted in Acts 8, an angel directed Philip to meet the official, a key aide to the queen of Ethiopia.

The unnamed man was in his chariot, reading a passage from the prophet Isaiah that refers to the coming Messiah. Recognizing the Ethiopian was struggling to understand what it meant, “Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus” (Acts 8:35). Placing his trust in Christ, the official spotted some water along the roadside and asked Philip to baptize him to confirm his new faith.

Almost immediately afterward, God’s Spirit whisked Philip away from there, and the Ethiopian “went on his way rejoicing” (Acts 8:39). But the story doesn’t end there. Christian historians say this individual not only held to his faith, but was used by God to establish the Church not only in Ethiopia but also throughout Africa.

Philip’s obedient encounter with this man might have been brief, but the impact was profound – and it continues to this day. Not bad for an afternoon’s work!

So, the next time you’re asking yourself, “What difference can I make?”, remember the answer: Only God knows.

Persevering – or Just Enduring?

Don’t you admire people that engage in endurance competitions? The annual Iditarod Sled Dog Race, for example, covers more than 1,000 miles, traversing from Anchorage to Nome, Alaska. (Apparently there’s no place like Nome.) And in Ironman Triathlons competitors swim in open water for 2.4 miles, ride a bike for 112 miles, and cap it off with a 26.2-mile run. The still-popular reality TV series “Survivor” takes endurance to new heights (and lows) with each season.

It takes a special person to participate in, much less win, such contests. But in a sense, we’re all involved in an endurance race – we call it everyday life. It’s interesting how differently people view this. You’ve probably seen the bumper sticker that says, “Life is tough. And then you die.” That’s how life seems sometimes, isn’t it?

What keeps us going? What should keep us going? A while ago I heard an interesting distinction between endurance – and perseverance. Endurance, the speaker pointed out, can mean just hanging on, trying to survive. Perseverance, on the other hand, involves more than that: It’s maintaining a singular focus and refusing to become distracted by extraneous matters.

Perhaps that’s why some people excel and succeed, while others wallow in mediocrity. The person settling for endurance is like someone aboard a boat that sinks and clinging desperately to a life preserver, hoping someone will come to his rescue. A person in this same situation who perseveres, however, doesn’t get distracted by sharks or the surrounding waves; she tries to find a solution, rather than waiting for the solution to find her.

The innovator that perseveres pursues the dream and refuses to accept failure as permanent. After several attempts that fail, this person simply concludes, “Now we know ways this won’t work. So we’ll try something else.”

A person faced with a physical disability could simply endure, dwelling on his or her limitations. Or they can take a different approach, focusing on capabilities not restricted by their disabilities. That’s why people like violinist Itzhak Perlman, acclaimed tenor Andrea Bocelli, and author-speaker-artist Joni Eareckson Tada are so inspirational. They refused to let polio, blindness or paralysis prevent them from discovering and refining their gifts.

And nearly 50 years after her death, Helen Keller, who overcame both blindness and deafness to earn a college degree and become a noted author, political activist and lecturer, remains a classic example of perseverance.

Advancing from mere endurance to perseverance to attain success isn’t a virtue meant only for extraordinary individuals. It also applies to the entrepreneur, schoolteacher, scientist, small business owner, aspiring athlete, inventor, and virtually any other field of endeavor.

Years ago my friend Mike was blindsided by a legal crisis that virtually consumed 18 months of his life. He could have curled up into a fetal position of self-pity, reasoning that his circumstances were grossly unfair. Instead, he persevered through this difficult time, gaining priceless life lessons in the process. He’s currently finishing a book to share what he learned.

But how can we persevere when it seems the best we can do is simply endure? “Gutting it out,” as they say. We can call upon resources beyond ourselves. The apostle Paul, no stranger to hardships, wrote, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13).

His experiences also enabled him to write with confidence, “…we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope” (Romans 5:3-4). Paul maintained a singular focus – to fulfill the calling God had given him. And he refused to be distracted, even by persecution and numerous hardships.

Citing Romans 8:37, Oswald Chambers expressed it well: “The things we try to avoid and fight against – tribulation, suffering, and persecution – are the very things that produce abundant joy in us. ‘We are more than conquerors through Him (Jesus Christ)’ in all these things; not in spite of them, but in the midst of them.” So, shall we just endure – or will we persevere? Which we choose could make a great difference.

Life on a Treadmill

My thrice-weekly exercise regimen of cardio and weight training includes 15-20 minutes on the treadmill each day. Right-left, right-left. It’s a rigorous commitment to going nowhere – but making great time! Seconds click past, I work up a sweat, and my heart gets pumping. When I finish, however, I’m still in the same place I started.

Isn’t life like that sometimes? Actually, it’s often like that. We’re moving as fast as possible, doing everything we can think of, feeling like we’re making excellent progress, then ultimately realize we’re getting nowhere.

Maybe it’s a career, working day after day, year after year, a steady dose of the mundane mixed with a dash or two of interesting and different. In the end we can’t help but wonder, “Am I really accomplishing anything?” As someone has said, the problem with being caught up in the rat race is the rat never seems to win.

How's life on the treadmill going for you?

Home life’s the same way: Changing diapers, preparing meals, washing clothes, chauffeuring kids from place to place, putting dishes in the dishwasher (and taking them out), vacuuming and mopping the floors, fixing the bed, mowing the lawn, carrying out the trash, watching a bit of TV, doing a little reading, and tumbling into bed. Just so we can do it again the next day.

Makes us want to belt out the refrain from old Peggy Lee song, “It that all there is?”

Like it or not, the “treadmill” is a big part of everyday life. Sometimes it seems like competing in a marathon with no finish line. Grudgingly, we persist. We endure. But does it have to be that way?

My favorite devotional writer, Oswald Chambers, observed:

“Perseverance is more than endurance. It is endurance combined with absolute assurance and certainty that what we are looking for is going to happen.”

See the distinction? Some people must endure chronic pain with little or no hope of relief. Or someone might endure a difficult work situation out of necessity – to leave would mean being unemployed. But perseverance means steadfastly pursuing a goal, having a desired objective in sight.

That’s why I return to the treadmill three times a week, trudging along step after step, getting no place fast. My goal is staying fit, keeping trim, and avoiding a rerun of my 2006 open-heart surgery. I don’t just endure each outing; I persevere with those ends in mind.

The apostle Paul frequently wrote about this. He said, “…we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character hope. And hope does not disappoint us…” (Romans 5:3-5). Elsewhere he stated, “I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:14). His clear focus enabled him to keep on keepin’ on.

Another apostle, James, made this observation: “…know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything” (James 1:3-4).

Helen Keller overcame incredible physical adversity to build a inspiring life that left an indelible mark. Despite being blind and deaf, she observed, “We can do anything we want if we stick to it long enough.”

Too many people these days, it seems, have settled for endurance. Why not set goals, even lofty ones, and then persevere, determined to achieve them – even if it demands everything we have?