Print or Email

TheDiscipleMd

In 1930 he had been born to a 16 year old unwed mother who would later marry 7 times in her life. His upbringing was one of poverty and uncertainty. In a nutshell, he lived a life none of us would wish on our worst enemy. To escape his pain he joined the army and spent several years in it’s service. Upon his discharge he had a meeting with a man that would forever change his life.

He was now 85 years old and confined to a wheelchair, but the tears that freely fell down his cheeks as he told his story, were as fresh as the day he first shed them. He had come home from the armed services with no real direction in life. He was called into his Bishop’s office and asked if he had a desire to serve a mission for the church. He secretly did. Hesitantly he revealed that he had no means by which to do so. The Bishop thought for a moment, then said, “What if I personally paid for you to go?”

Now here it was some 60 years later and the old man couldn’t help but cry when relating this story to a kind nurse who had asked about his life. By the kind act of his salvagar, the bishop, he had gone on a mission for the church,. There he met his future wife, who was also a fellow missionary. Later they both graduated from college, and ran a successful business. Together they raised a family of six children unto the Lord. Later he and his wife served as missionaries, once again, to the people of the Philippines.

A life, a family, a generation, the history of many, was changed that fateful day so long ago by one act of kindness.

This good Bishop had heeded the words of the Savior to ‘give to every man…and as ye would that man should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.“ (Luke 6:30-31)

All of us can perform small deeds that can salvage the souls of those in trouble, and alter history for generations to come. The Carpenter from Galilee proved that the power of one can bless the lives of many, indeed, it can change the direction of the world!