A Startling Discovery! 

        by Tom Woodard

Although I have no doubt the scientific world will take no note of it, I have discovered that Eutaw, Alabama, my home town, is the Center of the Universe! Yes, friends, not only have I made this great discovery but I have empirically proven it to be true! It is true because, for all of us, our world, and in a larger sense the universe - and beyond - is the one we live in. And why is this important? Because we are a part of that world, and it is a part of us, and we therefore have a duty and responsibility to be an interactive part of it. 

Although Eutaw, Alabama, is the center of the universe - for me - my world is far more extensive than that, radiating out in concentric circles to the homes of family members, from Fosters, to Northport, to Tuscaloosa, to Cottondale, to Decatur, to Valley, and then beyond the borders of Alabama, on to Atlanta, and even to the coast of Maine. But it goes even farther, to the people in Cambodia, Ethiopia, and all across the globe who are hurting and in need, and to our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan whose lives are on the line every day. Those concentric circles, as they grow larger, encompass people and places which are less central to me, but for which I share a responsibility of service and sharing.

The immediacy is at home, however, for those round about me, and I cannot reach half way across the world in service to strangers, while ignoring people in need right under my nose. This is true for all of us, and we all have a duty of service. None of us can do it all, and most of us, with our limited finances and resources, can only do what the world might consider insignificant or even unnoticeable. I heard Joyce Meyer say recently, however, that if one Christian witnesses to one lost person and leads that person to Christ, it is estimated that this one act of witnessing has the potential to lead to the salvation of 10,000 people! Likewise, acts of kindness should encompass our personal lives, here at home, where we live, as well as to far-reaching parts of the world. 

And it's not always a question of money, nor should it be. Some of the most meaningful acts of kindness involve giving of our time simply to sit down and listen to a hurting person, letting them know we care and that we, and God, love them. Acts of kindness lead those we help, in turn, to acts of kindness. A caring and giving heart is contagious. 

So I challenge you to discover the center of your universe, and to be a meaningful, interactive part of it - a willing servant, a cheerful giver, a genuine friend, a humble witness - and then allow your concentric circles to lead you outward, to minister to your expanded universe! This is the purpose of mankind, to love and minister to one another. This is the essence of God's call upon our lives, and the desire of His heart.

May the Lord bless you all in abundance, and make you a mighty flowing channel of blessing to others.

Copyright July 30th, 2008, by Tom Woodard

Back to Index Reflections