I Am Only One, But I Am One

At my previous church I was asked by one of our Boy Scouts if he could do something at the church for his Eagle Scout project. I have seen many Eagle Scout projects and I had an idea of something that he could do. On one side of the church we had an old neglected prayer garden that was small and unattended. I suggested that maybe he could clean it up, add a bench, and some new plants. I suggested something simple. This young man walked to the prayer garden with me, took some measurements and then said he would like to meet with our trustees to show them a design he has for the project. Below is a picture of that design.

When he showed me this design I was impressed with his creativity and desire but I didn’t think there was any way a 16 year old kid could pull this off. Boy was I wrong! He not only completed the project as designed, but raised nearly $50,000 in material, labor, and cash donations to make it happen. On May 20th, 2018 the B. Still Prayer Garden renovation at Cornerstone UMC was completed and was available to all their neighbors for prayer, reflection, and worship.

I learned a couple of things from this young man. First, I will never doubt the ability of one person to make a big difference. Second, this young man recognized that he was only one person, but he was also the one who would make it happen. He believed in his vision and made it a reality. He recruited volunteers. He found sponsors. He made it happen!

What is Holy Spirit encouraging you to make happen? What vision can you make a reality? Dwight L. Moody, a great evangelists of the nineteenth century, wrote the following words next to Isaiah 6:8 in his Bible: “I am only one, but I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something. What I can do, I ought to do, and what I ought to do, by the grace of God I will do.”

Isaiah 6:8: “Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.”

In God’s grip,

Pastor Chuck Church