One
I woke long before daylight. With the sun rising behind me, I drove west to attend the memorial service for a dear friend’s mother. The drive was 4½ hours one way. It was a long trip, but I felt strongly that I needed to be there. My friend had spent years caring for her mother through illness, and I knew the day would be heavy for her.
When I arrived, she was standing alone in the foyer. In that moment, every mile was worth it. Having buried my own mother, I understood the quiet ache that lingers behind the brave face. I didn’t go to say the perfect words — I just went to be there. Sometimes the ministry of presence is all that’s needed.
The drive gave me plenty of quiet time, something rare for me. I don’t usually travel alone, but I enjoyed the solitude and didn’t want to waste one moment of it. I listened to our church choir arrangements for Sunday on my handy USB drive, to the audio Bible via my iPhone, and to the hum of tires on the highway. Over and over, one word seemed to rise in my spirit. “One!”
One person on the road.
Going to comfort one friend.
Who had lost one mother.
When I started my audio Bible from the beginning, Genesis reminded me again of the power of one. One God created one heaven and one earth. He shaped one man, then one woman. When the world had fallen into chaos, God used one obedient man, Noah, to build an ark and preserve creation — one pair at a time.
All throughout Scripture, we see this theme repeat: one boy with five stones defeated a giant, one widow gave her last bit of oil and fed a prophet, one woman at a well ran to tell her whole town about Jesus, and one Savior died for the sins of all mankind.
Each of these stories reminds us that one life can change the course of many.
At my friend’s mother’s memorial, people spoke of how she had changed lives as a teacher, a mother, and a wife. One woman who showed up every day, did her best, prayed for her students, and loved her family well. Through that quiet faithfulness, she impacted hundreds.
God doesn’t need crowds to move mountains. He just needs one willing heart.
So today, whether you’re sitting in traffic, caring for someone, teaching, working, or listening in stillness, remember this: You are one. And that’s not small. It’s sacred. Because through you, the One who created it all is still at work. The Bible says…
“For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.” 2 Chronicles 16:9
“There is one body and one Spirit… one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all.” Ephesians 4:4–6
“The prayer of one righteous person is powerful and effective” James 5:16
