Difference Makers

 

“The purpose of life is not to be happy.  It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well.”  ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

 

Justin Castor is the Executive Chef at Urban Egg, University Village, in Colorado Springs, Colorado.  Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Justin teamed up with Fostering Hope Foundation and offered a cooking class for the young adults who had aged out of foster care.  Castor commented, “The group had fun learning basic meal prep skills that will help them to live confidently and independently, but also developed a sense of community with each other and our volunteers.  That’s what we call a win-win.” 

 

Last week, the staff at A.C. New Middle School, in Mesquite ISD, recognized teacher Becky Nabors for going the extra mile.  Coach Nabors teaches students in school, along with virtual learners.  When the district assessments arrived, her virtual students had met their goals.  Becky contacted the parents and then surprised her students with an at home visit to commend them for their success and take them a treat.  Coach Nabors commented, “It brought tears to my eyes to hug their necks and reward their hard work!”

 

Jake Bland drives a truck for the Hometown Hauling Company in Louisville, Kentucky.  He noticed that “Mrs. W,” a 90 year-old lady had not had any trash to pick up for two weeks.  He shared the information and address with the operations manager, Bernice Arthur.  When the manager called to check on her, Mrs. W related, “I’m  ok.  But my caretaker was so afraid of the virus that she stopped coming.  I can’t get to the store.  I don’t have any trash because I’ve run out of food.  And I don’t have any family to help me.”  Bernice assured her that they would now be her family and then notified the truck driver with the update.  Bland was off the next day so he called  and asked Mrs. W to make a list of items she needed.  When he went by the next morning, there were only a few things written on the paper.  Bland asked permission to look in her refrigerator and found that it was empty!  In about an hour, he returned with dozens of bags of groceries.  “Had we not reached out to her – she wasn’t reaching out to anyone,” Arthur said.  “It taught me, regardless, check on them.  Put something on their porch.  Let them know.”

 

Recently a Pike Electric crew in Clinton, Tennessee, on their way to a job, saw a man lying on the boat dock.  The temperature was in the mid-30s and the man seemed to not be moving.  Gerald Craft, the foreman, and the other four men decided to stop and check things out.  Upon reaching the man, he related that he had been hunting, fell and broke his ankle, got back into his boat, and drove the  two miles back to the dock, crawled out of the boat and collapsed on the dock.  Brandon Potts, the Equipment Operator, was also an EMT and began treating the man, while waiting for the emergency helpers to arrive.  They stabilized the man’s leg, changed him to dry clothes, blocked the wind off of him, and waited for the ambulance.  In the meantime, the man’s wife arrived.  The men then helped load the boat and drove the truck to the couple’s residence. 

 

Whether it is planned in advance or at the spur of a moment, may we each look for and accept the opportunities to make a difference.

 

 

Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves.  Do what it says.

James 1:22

 

“In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”

Acts 20:35