"A hundred years from now it will not matter what my bank account was, the sort of house I lived in, or the kind of car I drove... but the world may be different because I was important in the life of a child." ~Forest E. Witcraft

The quote that is the title of this post is actually a slight variation of the end of a brief essay called, "Within My Power," by Dr. Forest E. Witcraft, who was a scholar, teacher, and Boy Scout executive.  His essay was first published in a 1950 issue of Scouting Magazine, and it reads as follows:

"I am not a Very Important Man, as importance is commonly rated. I do not have great wealth, control a big business, or occupy a position of great honor or authority.  Yet I may someday mould destiny. For it is within my power to become the most important man in the world in the life of a boy. And every boy is a potential atom bomb in human history.  A humble citizen like myself might have been the Scoutmaster of a Troop in which an undersized unhappy Austrian lad by the name of Adolph might have found a joyous boyhood, full of the ideals of brotherhood, goodwill, and kindness. And the world would have been different.  A humble citizen like myself might have been the organizer of a Scout Troop in which a Russian boy called Joe might have learned the lessons of democratic cooperation.  These men would never have known that they had averted world tragedy, yet actually they would have been among the most important men who ever lived.  

All about me are boys. They are the makers of history, the builders of tomorrow. If I can have some part in guiding them up the trails of Scouting, on to the high road of noble character and constructive citizenship, I may prove to be the most important man in their lives, the most important man in my community.

A hundred years from now it will not matter what my bank account was, the sort of house I lived in, or the kind of car I drove. But the world may be different, because I was important in the life of a boy."

I read that passage at Caleb's Eagle Scout Court of Honor several years ago, as I thanked those who influenced our boy in his young life.  But it came to my mind again a few weeks ago as we gathered in College Station to celebrate Caleb's graduation from Texas A&M University.

So many people have been (and are) important in the lives of my children.  When Sarah, Becca, and Caleb were young, not only were their parents and grandparents invested in their lives, but many of our friends made it a point to really KNOW our kids - to be involved in their lives, and to make them a priority.  Friends who attended ball games, school plays, marching events, band concerts, and graduations - some who traveled many miles to do so.  These friends remembered birthdays, provided comfort at the loss of a grandparent, and worked at making fun memories with them.

As our children left the nest and moved into their college world, this group of important people broadened for them.  Their Christian family grew as they got to know good, godly people who loved them and embraced them into their families.  Friends who were there during break-ups, the stresses of school, surgeries, and again, the death of a grandparent.  Godly people who set an example, provided guidance, and became family to our kids, when their blood family was many miles away.

And now, as all of our kids have entered their post-college adult lives, that circle of important people continues to grow for each of them.  What a blessing.

I am thankful beyond description for those important people in the lives of my children - you have helped them in ways too numerous to mention.  You are loved greatly by them, and by their parents.  And your influence and encouragement to them cannot be measured - they are as far along on their paths of faith as they are because of you.

But as I contemplate all of that, I need to take it a step further - - what about me?  What kind of influence am I having in the lives of the little people that make their way into my world?  Am I "important" in the life of a child?  Am I taking the time to invest in the lives of precious children in such a way as to build relationships with them, encourage them, and help them as they grow and develop their faith?  I plan to make more of an effort to do that, and I hope you will, too.

“I love these little people; and it is not a slight thing when they, who are so fresh from God, love us.” ~Charles Dickens