Ripples Turning to Waves

The American theologian and writer Frederick Buechner once said “The life I touch for good or ill will touch another life and that in turn another, until who knows where the trembling stops or in what far place my touch will be felt.” 

When I think about the work of St. Vincent de Paul in Georgia over the last 104 years in the context of that statement I am overwhelmed with thoughts of the number of people our work has touched; directly and indirectly.  I think about lives that have literally been saved by some work of charity and love from Vincentians unknown to us today.  I think about how many times hope filled a void because of the acts of Vincentians unknown to us today.  I think about children who live lives of fulfillment and happiness because their parents were touched by Vincentians unknown to us today.

St. Vincent de Paul has served those in need in Georgia for many years; and we will continue today and then again tomorrow and then again next week.  We continue to touch people’s lives, to change people’s lives, to improve people’s lives.  We go on the home visits and listen.  We go on the home visits and we care.  We go on the home visits and we try to develop solutions to problems.  Why?

I think it’s because we know, maybe not consciously but we still know, that the life we are touching at that moment in time is not an isolated life or an isolated fellow human being.  We know that our impact is far reaching and long lasting.  We know that providing hope, help, and love to one person today provides help, hope, and love to unknown numbers of others tomorrow.

 

And that touch from one of the thousands of SVdP volunteers will create a ‘tremble’ and an impact that will travel far and wide.  And its impact will be felt.  Like the stone thrown into the still waters of a pond it will create tiny ripples of hope that together with the tiny ripples of hope created by the thousands of other Vincentians who have touched lives in Georgia over the last 104 years will become waves of positive change for people known and unknown to us.

It is only through the support our many thousands of donors and volunteers that we are able to do this.  If you are one of those thousands then we thank you for it and we humbly ask for you to continue to honor and bless us with it.  If not, we invite you to join with us in helping 'Change Lives...One at a Time.'

John