A Lasting Effect

On occasion as I write, I think of the English teachers I had in school. As I redo my initial lines and edit my thoughts, I remember being taught about using a variety of sentence structures and words. I sense those teachers telling me still, “You can say that more effectively.” Their legacy has been a great help to me on so many levels over the years.

I sometimes wonder if they were aware of their impact all those many years ago. I imagine that they often were so busy taking care of the day-to-day responsibilities that the lasting effect of what they were doing was not apparent to them. It happens to all of us. Whether it is a teacher completing today’s lesson plan or a preacher writing this week’s sermon or whatever else it is that we have to do as a part of our daily lives. We are just getting through that moment, and in just getting through that moment, we can miss its lasting impact.

From time to time I have had someone recall for me something that I said or did that meant a lot to them. Often, I honestly struggle to remember the occasion or the words, but it is clear that the person doing the recalling remembers. And their remembering serves as a reminder that there are countless possibilities for making a lasting impact on others, and those are important even if we never know of their significance to that individual.

The effect is individual. Often, we are dealing with groups, and we forget that the impact may be different for each person in that group. Everyone comes to that moment with different needs and experiences. Thus, they hear, or read, or experience that moment differently than others else in the room. Some may not be touched at all. One or two may be touched deeply.

We forget that our view of what is important might not be shared by those around us. What I think matters does not necessarily touch someone. That has been a frequent experience for me. Thoughts that seemed to me to be important were not relevant to those who heard or read them. But there have been occasions when I was almost embarrassed by the lack of quality of what I was presenting, but time and circumstances required that I go with what I had. Several times people told me later how important that which I deemed unimportant was to them. I used to be shocked. I am no longer.

There is a great meme that shows up on line occasionally. The first picture shows a minister recalling what he thought was a great sermon, and that it seemed to have little effect. Likewise, he recalled presenting one that he considered lacking but which was received well. The second picture has this line, “I have no idea what I am doing.”

Actually, we do know what we are doing. We are doing the best we can. Sometimes that is not enough, but on some occasions, thankfully, it is. And those occasions can arise when you least expect it, and their effect can be lasting.

I would like to be able to tell those teachers how often they come to mind, how often I have used what they taught me. It was more than just parts of speech or sentence structure. It was about trying to do what you do well or, at least, better. I would also like for them to know that what they presented was more than just a lesson plan, and that it had a lifespan beyond that six weeks or that semester. They were in a real sense “paying it forward.” Those of us who benefitted need to remember their efforts and to be more conscious of doing the same.