Live the Remarkable Life 

Isaiah 6:8 “Then I heard the voice of the Lord sayig, ‘Whom shall I send?  And who will go for us?’  And I said, ‘Here am I.  Send me!'”

His name was Nicholas Winton and he lived a remarkable life.  In 1939, as Hitler rose to power, news surfaced of Jews being carted away by Nazi Germany, never to be seen again.  This atrocity led a young stockbroker named Nicholas Winton to get involved.  So with his limited resources, he devised a plan of transporting Jewish children from Nazi-occupied countries to safety in Britain.

Winton began his dangerous journey alone and never spoke of his heroic deeds until his wife discovered his scrapbook in their attic more than fifty years later.  This long-forgotten gem recorded the names, ages, and photographs of the numerous Jewish children successfully smuggled to safety by her husband.

Soon after news of the scrapbook surfaced, numerous individuals came forward recalling how as children they were placed on trains and transported to safety.  They had never met the man who saved them.  They had never known the man who was credited with saving 669 children from almost certain death at the hands of the Nazis.  By the time Winton’s story was shared, these “children” had children, grandchildren, and even great-grandchildren of their own.  The number of lives credited to the actions of one man had increased to 15,000.

Nicholas Winton’s legacy is attributed to his individual initiative.  Yes, group initiatives were quietly working to help the Jews and underground resistance programs were in place, but Winton chose a different path.  Realizing group initiatives would be far less effective for such secretive work, his heart called him to a solo journey. And, oh, what a difference this one man made in saving lives.

As Christians, we are also called to save those in danger of death – spiritual death. Most likely, there are many programs in place in your local congregations reaching out to spread the gospel, feed the hungry, and assist the marginal communities.  And prayerfully, all of us are involved in these wonderful ministries.  But, as evidenced in the life of Nicholas Winton, there is no substitution for an individual’s initiative

Are you aware it is more likely the visitor to church service is attending because they received an invitation from one individual, not because they received a flyer in their mailbox?  It is more likely the visitor will return for a second visit if someone in the congregation reaches out to them and not because they receive an email or form letter from the church.  It is more likely a person will agree to sit down and study the Bible because one person encouraged them, not because a Bible correspondence course arrived in their mailbox.

Many stories of individual initiative are woven throughout the Bible.  Abigail bravely appealed to David and saved her entire family from death, changing the course of her life.  A young servant girl spoke up on behalf of God’s providence and power, influencing powerful Naaman to seek Elisha for healing.  In turn, Naaman became a believer in the mighty Jehovah God.  Philip taught the Good News of a risen Savior to the Eunuch who returned to the continent of Africa with the gospel.  All of these stories relied on one individual.

Sisters, good news!  You don’t have to wait on anyone else.  Look around your church.  Search your neighborhood.  Scan your friends and capitalize on the power of one.  Just like Nicholas Winton, you too can live a remarkable life.  You too can make a difference.

Father God, open our eyes to the ways you have created us to serve.  May we never underestimate the power of one.

Rita Cochrane

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