Matthews Family Herald

When it comes to charismatic leadership or sports performance, I don't shine out as awe inspiring. In the workplace as well, I'm a "Jack of all trades and a master of none." This state-of-affairs gets old and frustrating, and leaving me wondering what purpose and significance I have "out there" in the big world.

My wife reminded me today that God sometimes allows us to stay humbled in some areas of life to increase our "usability" in other areas. I thought I'd share two recent examples of how I have been useful in hopes to helping a kindred hearts reading here.

In my Virginia class of 19 students, we have a kind person and a mean person who happen to share a room. The mean person lost an important, work-related item and the kind person happened to find it. The kind person, after having endured weeks of antagonism from the mean one, let go of kindness and decided to throw the item away and and revel in sweet revenge. I handed the item back to the kind person and said "are you sure you don't want to take this chance to make peace," with a smile. The kind person actually agreed, took the item out of my hand, and looked happy to do the right thing.

Today, a fellow classmate's wife and his 3-year old son had traveled here to visit my friend over the weekend. However, a last-minute change had all of us back in class on Saturday at 8am. It was now 1:30pm and my friend was distressed but holding his frustration well. I came to him, hoping to encourage him to ask to leave, and said "I can't see why they wouldn't let you go with your family. We are basically finished here." Although I didn't know it, a key class leader was right behind us and heard what I said. Minutes later, my friend had been released quietly and I saw him looking full of joy and leaving with his family at last. The rest of the class didn't leave until after 3pm and I heard one person complain that our classmate left early. I guess "misery loves company" but I felt good about what happened.

Our significance at home is more obvious when we look at our children and our spouse. But even in the wide world out there, we might not get fame, great wealth, or attract large followings with our leadership, but God uses even those like me (and you) to make a great difference in our world and in the lives of others.