I’ve been working in campus ministry for eight years now. There have been exciting seasons (especially in the last few years) of leading many students to faith and watching in amazement as young adults who I’ve mentored go out and share their faith with their peers.
There have also been some difficult years where I’ve tried to reach out to many students and offer them the chance to serve God’s kingdom at their school, but few have responded. I’ve also seen years where much of the fruit has been invisible, at least to me.
But today, I’m reminded of a small act of kindness that changed the course of my dad’s life—and ended up changing many other people’s lives as well (including mine). My dad was on a bus one day and met a lady who told him about a book called “Transforming Grace” by Jerry Bridges. He was interested but might’ve forgotten about it as soon as they parted ways. But this woman, a complete stranger, did something simple and generous: She handed him her copy of the book and said, “Would you like to have it?”
Later, my dad read through the book with me, and it radically changed how I understood God’s love. Though I claimed to believe in salvation by grace, I was living as though I had to earn God’s approval. I often guilted myself for not reading my Bible enough, for not being bold enough, for struggling to overcome sinful habits.
That book helped free me from guilt and shame and led me to trust more deeply in the unchanging grace of God. Aside from scripture, it’s the most important book I’ve ever read.
Since then, I’ve had the privilege of taking many students through it—individually and in group settings. I’ve used it as the basis for large group teachings. I’ve watched it soften hearts and make the gospel message feel real and personal for dozens of students. I would guess that 50, maybe even 100, students have either come to faith or grown in their relationship with Christ because of this one book. All because a stranger on a bus gave it to my dad.
I doubt she had any idea how many people would hear the gospel message because she gave a small gift to my dad. She probably thought he would be the only one to read it—if he read it at all.
But that’s often how God works: through one small act of kindness.
Today, I often stop and remind myself that even my small choices matter. For some of my friends and students, I may be the only example of Christ in their life. Every person I say “hi” to may be going through challenges I can’t see—and I can offer them the love of Jesus through my actions.
But when I fail to be a light to others, I remind myself that God’s grace is more than enough. And that grace frees me to focus on loving God and loving others.
I’m free to stop feeling like I’m not doing enough. I’m free to simply pray, “Lord, help me to honor you with how I spend my time today.”
I’m often surprised to learn just how much my small choices matter.
Justin Walters is a campus minister and freelance writer in the Pacific Northwest. He loves guiding people into deep, genuine conversations about Christ and helping them to see how God’s word applies to their daily lives. He’s also written two novels that he plans to self-publish. Justin and his wife, Emily, have a 2-year-old son, and they attend Kingwood Bible Church in Salem, Oregon.
