You never know how much something you say or do will impact another person, in a good way or a bad one. At church this past weekend my pastor said “your obedience may be the answer to someone else’s prayer,” and it made me think of all the times something has butterfly-affected my life. Small things people have said or done that sent me spiralling in both directions. There are only a few examples that have come to mind, but all of them have led me to where I am today. There’s one example in particular, however, that I believe shaped who I am in a way she could have never anticipated.
My freshman year of high school I believed I was going to be some kind of doctor, so I signed myself up for a four year Project Lead the Way course. It was a biomedical class intended to prepare people for entering pre-medical fields of study in college. I walked into class and was greeted by one of the most encouraging people I have encountered. Tracy Gergley.
Throughout the year I had her as a teacher, she was quick to make us all feel welcome in a new environment. Whether it was class discussions about the things that were causing stress in our lives or reminding us we could always go to her, she modelled what I believe all people try to live up to as role models. She stood up for what she believed in and encouraged us to do the same in our lives.
I established fairly early that medicine wasn’t for my future, but continued to take the class because of the foundation it set for me. My senior year we had a guest visit the school and, as a class, we spoke to him about what the program offered. I felt as though I couldn’t participate because I wasn’t truly reaping the rewards it offered. I was going to be a journalist, what did I need to know about micropipetting and backstitches? Mrs. Gergley encouraged us to speak about the positive effects the program had even if we weren’t going into the medical field, and it opened the doors for me to get involved in the conversation.
After the speaker had left I spoke to her and she expressed how proud she was of the way I represented the program. And that was all I needed. I didn’t feel like a college prep biomedical class fit me anymore. I didn’t think I contributed to it in the way that my ‘aspiring doctor’ classmates could. But there I was, being appreciated for telling my unconventional takeaways from the program.
A small conversation, but a reminder I will always have with me. You don’t need to ‘go with the grain’ to have a voice and take a stand, and your willingness to speak up should be based on the message you want to share and not on the response you believe you will get. Mrs. Gergley modeled this all four years I knew her, and though I have since graduated I imagine she is still modeling this for students today.
I could write books about the importance of using the voice God gave you. And this is just one example about why that is important. She didn’t need to say anything to me. I had already spoken, I didn’t need to be encouraged. Yet there she was, encouraging me. The things you say to people matter. The moments where you feel compelled to speak hold value.
Before you say something, think of the rippling effect it could have in someone’s life. Is it negative? Keep the thought to yourself. Likewise, before you pass up on an opportunity to talk to someone, think about what you could miss.
“Your obedience may be the answer to someone else’s prayer.” Don’t let getting caught up in what people may think stop you from using your voice. God works through us, and you never know when it is truly Him speaking through you.
Having a platform where I could share virtually anything has brought some stress into my life. I could truly say whatever I want, and make it public. Something people could see with the click of a button. So this message isn’t just something I’m putting out for others, but something I aspire to apply to my life. To share things that will benefit people. To use my voice to uplift people, even if there is only one person I can impact. I think if as a society we focused on just this, the power of our words, we would stop tearing each other down. We would stop directing so much attention to gossip and hearsay. We will think before we speak, and become the role models we needed when we were younger. 👍
❤️❤️❤️