Dear Families,

My daughter was afraid of being alone in her room at night when she was two years old.

Our home was equipped with old steam radiators. During the winter evenings, as the outside temperature dropped, the boiler would kick on and start heating the water in the pipes. The expanding water would clang, bang, and make all kinds of noises. It usually coincided with bedtime and my daughter would assume it was a monster set on coming after her.

Night after night, I’d find myself racing back to her room after hearing her cries for help. Falling asleep was impossible because she would hear the radiator and start crying. Eventually, I decided to station myself just outside her door. The radiator would clang, and just as she began to cry, I would calmly say from around the corner, “It’s okay. It’s just the heat.” Hearing my voice, she’d settle down… but not for long. Five or ten minutes would pass, the radiator would begin to clang, and we would repeat the process. It typically took four or five cycles before she would fall into a deep sleep.

After several nights of this, I became too weary of crewing my station and decided to try and go to bed. Ten minutes passed, and the radiator clanged. I waited for my daughter to cry but instead heard a small voice in the darkness, “It’s just the heat.” She soon fell asleep by herself. A transformation had occurred that I hadn’t expected. My little girl had adopted my belief - the sound from the radiator would not harm her.

We each have a significant ability to influence those around us. Humans are wired in such a way that interactions with each other have lasting and profound effects. Parents influence children, teachers influence students, and coaches influence athletes. Each of us is a change agent: our actions and words affect others in ways we can’t always see.

Our Lord Jesus Christ recognized this hallmark of servant leadership; each person can significantly influence the world in which they live. He invested in people (disciples) and prioritized time with them rather than programs. He used everyday life to teach them, and His love transformed them. I believe He asks us to do the same today.

II Timothy 2:22 states, “And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others.”

John K. Thornburg