On a quiet street I took to work over the years stood a small, frame house. Nothing about it was impressive or eye-catching. The paint peeled and the roof sagged from years under the hot, West Texas sun.

However, it was moved to a museum. Why?

George and Barbara Bush once lived there. One of the little boys who ran and played in the small yard was George W. Bush. The father and son both later became presidents of the United States of America!

Who would have thought that people of prominence and power would come from such humble circumstances?

As we work for the Lord, we meet many people. Some seem ideal prospects. They're such good people, they would make perfect Christians!  

Others appear hopeless. We wonder if there is any use picking the filthy child up for Sunday school or inviting a dysfunctional family to a church picnic. Yet how can we know? The least likely person we meet may become a missionary or great soul winner.

Imagine a pebble tossed into a pond. It ripples outward toward the shore. The same is true when one lost soul is saved. That person's influence will affect their family members, co-workers, and acquaintances who will in turn impact others who will touch countless others.  

We cannot pick and choose who God draws. It is not His will that anyone is lost. (See II Peter 3:9.) Our job is to be conduits of His love to those in our sphere of influence. We must make the gospel available to everyone. (See Revelation 22:17.)

We may wonder who will stick, if an addict could possibly be delivered from his vices, or if an abusive parent can change. But God can do anything. (See Luke 1:37.)

We can feel helpless in the face of the enormous task Christ set before us. (See Mark 16:15.) We cannot save anyone and may become disheartened when our best efforts seem futile.

When a seed is planted, we cannot see when it begins to take root or sprout. Only when its tender shoots break through the soil do we see anything. So it is with a soul. A person may experience a change of heart long before it is apparent.

We rarely glimpse the big picture. Many people may impact a single life over a period of years, but it is God who ultimately saves them. (See I Corinthians 3:6.) We do our part, realizing only God can change a heart and life.

Hang on. Don't give up. Keep loving and reaching, hoping and praying. Only eternity will reveal the impact of a life lived with the intent of touching others for the kingdom of God.