Growing Through Perseverance

1 John 3:18

18Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.  

Devotional

BE WHO GOD NEEDS YOU TO BE Do you want to do great things to change the world? Maybe a better idea is to make a difference right where you are. By 1939, America was still dealing with the effects of the Great Depression. One of the only escapes for children in those days was the country’s most popular sport: baseball. With worn out and tattered equipment, neighborhood kids threw together games on run-down sandlots that substituted for baseball diamonds. Observing all of this was Carl Stotz, a lumberyard clerk. One day while playing catch with his nephews, a wild pitch sent Stotz scrambling for the ball. In the process, he tripped over a lilac bush and injured his foot. Sitting on the porch, tending to his wound, he decided kids needed proper equipment and a safe place to play. With the sponsorship of area businesses, three teams were assembled and, that summer, Little League Baseball was born. Today, Little League impacts nearly three million kids in over 80 countries around the world. But it all started with one man’s desire to create something special for the kids in his neighborhood. The truth is we don’t need more people seeking to change the world; we need folks who strive to make a difference in their city, on their block, and in their home. It reminds me of a man who once commented to his mentor, “What can God do with me? I’m not Billy Graham.” The mentor thought a moment and, in his wisdom, responded, “Seems to me God already has a Billy Graham. Maybe what He needs is you.” Be who God needs you to be right where you are. Like Carl Stotz, if you see a need, jump in and help. Maybe you’ll change the world. Or maybe the world you change will be the life of someone right around the corner. For a daily dose of encouragement and perspective, check out Jim Daly’s blog, Daly Focus, at JimDalyBlog.com.