"Our Daily Blog" #18

"Be The One" Part Two

By Reverend Denise Tracy

(To read part one, click here)

Mrs. Keppel was my “One”. What I mean, by saying that she was my “One", is quite simply that she cared enough about me to encourage me and -by doing this- she changed my life forever. I am sure she did not set out to do this but, by who and how she was, she changed not only how I saw myself but also, how I saw my world.

We think that it takes millions of dollars or years of work to offer children, youth or adults a new vision. But, in reality, all it takes is one person. It doesn’t take hours either. It can take just a few moments.  Someone caring enough to give a lifeline- to love and to speak loving truth and kindness- can save and or change a life forever.

Mrs Keppel was my "One" and now, I have a question for you. Do you have a “One”? If so, who has been your “One”? Is there someone who pointed you in a direction, someone who showed you something about life or yourself that shone a light on your life or your path in a different way? Often that person is a teacher. Or, it could be a friend, a mentor, an Aunt or Uncle, a minister, a police officer, or counselor. Grandparents are often the “One”. 

How many of you have a person you credit as being your “One”? Think about how you are different because of this person. Think of you before and then after their influence. Remember and celebrate the process of becoming.

But, there are two parts to this. The first part is being the recipient of inspiration from “The One”. The second part is being “The One”. There are children and youth and adults in our lives. How are we in relationship with them so that they will see the world and themselves differently because they knew us?

There are children in your church, in your neighborhood- somewhere in your life. Being their “One” is how we can be a gift to the world. There are adults around us who need us to be their “One.” The reality is that being the “One”can happen every day. Being the “One” can become a way of being, a philosophy, even a religion.

Jesus, the Buddha, Confucius, Mother Teresa, Mother Jones are remembered because they behaved in new and illuminating ways that pointed toward a different path for living life. Most of the time I think being the “One” is invisible. Some of the very important and trail-blazing leaders in the world such as Gandhi, Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King Jr, Gloria Steinem, may never have known whether or not they were making a difference. They have all inspired us and we know that they have been the “One” for someone- many someones. We do not have to be famous or have power to have a positive impact on others. Therefore, I would encourage us to recognize those who have been the “One” in our lives as well as to do our best to be the “One” for others.

Being the “One” can be as simple as being kind to a stranger, saying hello to people as we move through each day, finding encouraging words when we see someone struggling, thanking someone for an every day action…Most of us want to make a difference in the world. What we need to realize is that, being who we are and connecting to people around us, may make the largest difference we can possibly make in our world. Thank the “One” in your life by being the “One” whenever possible. This makes every day a powerful, inspiring and an endless adventure worth living!

Below, please enjoy "Spiritual Matters-Sister in Ministry, on the "Omni-U Presents: The H3O/Art of Life" television show featuring Omni-U Faculty member and today's blog writer, Reverend Denise Tracy.