Everything we do can have an impact on someone else—good or bad. Today, though, I want to focus on the good.
Have you ever heard of Albert McMakin? No?
Are you familiar with Peter Davis (hint, he was a musician)? Probably not.
McMakin invited a young man to church, wherein he got saved. That young man was Billy Graham.
Peter Davis was the music teacher at the Colored Waif’s Home for Boys who taught a young boy to play the bugle and cornet. That boy was Louis Armstrong.
Billy Graham and Armstrong each changed the world in their own ways. However, without the impact of McMakin and Davis, the world may have never had the great evangelist or the New Orleans blues man.
We owe them much gratitude.
Unknown, Everyday People can Change the World
I wrote a while back about “ministry nobodies,” a name I gave to the local pastors who will never be famous, yet whose efforts I believe will have lasting impact on the world. Ministry nobodies won’t have global television ministries, megachurches, and major book deals. Yet, just like McMakin and Davis, they can be the catalyst that gives us the next world changer.
It’s not just ministry nobodies, though. There are “nobodies” in all areas of life. Whether a single parent, business owner, YouTuber, or blue-collar laborer, each of us can have an impact on someone else’s life.
The world may never recognize your influence. You may never realize who you’ve inspired. Nevertheless, what may seem like nothing of real importance may change the life of someone who will end up changing the world.
If Someone Inspired You or Changed Your Life, Let Them Know
You may not be a famous world changer, but I’m sure someone in your past changed your world. That person may not even realize how or even that they had an impact.
Maybe they spent time with you, mentoring you in a trade or teaching you about life. Perhaps they wrote you a note or letter that inspired you. Maybe they created a video that changed your life or helped you through a difficult time.
However they did it, think about someone who changed your life.
Have you let them know about the impact they had on you? If not, you need to. If you have, remind them.
You never know how that person may be doing right now. It’s possible they don’t see themselves as having much of an impact and, thus, they believe themselves to be mostly irrelevant. They need to know that what they do matters.
What Will You Do Now?
This isn’t the longest of posts. It’s probably not the most eloquent or deep. Nevertheless, it’s something that’s on my mind today.
Where will you go from here? I hope you don’t give up and think you’re not all that influential. While you may not directly change the world, you may inspire the one who does. And even if you don’t, it’s not really about changing the world; it’s about changing one person’s world at a time.
