You matter, whether you believe that or not

You matter.

Do you agree with that statement? 

Doesn’t matter. Because you do.

Matter, I mean.

I know, I know. You aren’t rich. You aren’t famous. You don’t have millions of followers on social media. Doesn’t matter.

Because you do.

Matter, I mean.

Even though we now live in the world where everybody has a platform, not everyone will be in the spotlight. But that doesn’t mean we can’t shine brightly.

Ever heard of Billy Graham’s Sunday school teacher? Don’t feel bad. Most people haven’t. Yet without Edward Kimball’s passion and patience, Billy Graham would never have preached the gospel to more than 80 million people in person and to countless millions more over the airwaves and in films. 

Yes, Edward Kimball mattered. And so do you.

Does the name Dru Joyce mean anything to you? Don’t  feel bad. It only rings a bell with the most ardent hoop fans. But when LeBron James was in middle school, Dru Joyce was his AAU coach and later allowed LeBron to move in with him during some turbulent teen years. So without the mentoring of Dru Joyce, we might not have the best basketball player of the past 20 years.

Yes, Dru Joyce mattered. And so do you.

Ever heard of Sir Edmund Hillary? Of course you have. He is credited with being first to reach the summit of Mt. Everest in 1953. But did you know Tenzing Norgay actually led that expedition? So without Tenzing Norgay, we would never remember Hillary’s famous climb from 65 years ago.

Yes, Tenzing Norgay mattered. And so do you.

Doesn’t matter if you agree that you matter. That’s for other people to decide.

Here’s what I mean. You know why so many people still prefer to drive to the bank despite technology that allows us to make transactions from our phone? Because of the rockstar teller. You know why children fall in love with reading? Because of their amazing teachers. You know why marathoners can break world records? Because of the “rabbits” who set a blazing pace and then get out of the way.

Yes, those people matter. And so do you.

This week, someone will read a book because of you. Someone will pick up a basketball because of you. Someone will know their Savior because of you.

Years ago, I used to dream of singing in Madison Square Garden in front of a huge crowd. I used to dream of coaching at the Final Four in a massive dome. I used to hope that millions of people would read my books. But then I came to a huge realization. That might not be my role in this earth.

Maybe my calling isn’t to speak at a baseball stadium in front of thousands. Maybe my calling isn’t to sit on the bench at Duke or Indiana or Arizona. Maybe, just maybe, my role is simply to share my passion with the child who’s in front of me tomorrow. And maybe HER role is to become the next president of the United States and impact millions through what she’s learned from me.

I’m reminded of a line I heard years ago: “You can count the apples on a tree, but only God knows how many apples are in a single seed.”

Keep planting those seeds, friends. Because you matter. We all do.

Maybe more than we’ll ever know.