you-raise-me-up-westlife1 Please enjoy one of my favorite songs, You Raise Me Up.
It seems sometimes that my mind wraps around something and until I get into it, the tentacles just won’t let go. This time, it is the “Power of One”. I mean, think about it, most of the world worships “One God”–monotheism. In all of the universe, there is only one planet that we know of which can sustain intricate life forms–that would be Earth. Earth’s solar system has but one sun, and without it we would cease to exist. We have only one moon which lights the night skies. Then, I know this is a little touchy, but when you think about the human life form, we come from one egg which is attacked by multitudes of spermatozoa, yet only one is able to impregnate the egg! We are born with one heart and when it quits beating — well, you know what happens! We are given one brain to navigate this intricate thing called life — and we are given one life to live! I mean, think of all the stars in the universe, the cells in the body, the ants on a hillside, — and yet, we get only one chance at this thing called life! Geeze, Louise.
Then, if you think about it without “one” you can’t get to the rest of the numbers. “One” begins everything. Even stories often begin with a version of one–Once. Once upon a time– One day-
It makes me think of the one time I made it to the county or state spelling bee — I can’t remember which. I made it to the finals. There was just me and this other kid (sorry, can’t remember the kid either). I CAN remember the ONE word that I MISSED. I can also remember that I could only miss one word– and that was the end of my spelling bee fame. I think the word was quite fitting, if I do say so myself. I mean, if you are going to miss a word in a spelling BEE, what better word to miss than “Pollen”– that would be “pollen, p-o-l-l-e-n, pollen”. Yes, I do remember the ONE word that I missed.
Then, there was also the day I bought a lottery ticket. I don’t often buy lottery tickets, but N.C. had just gotten the lottery and I gave into temptation. I picked my five numbers and waited. Life seemed to tick slowly by while I waited for the night when they would call out the numbers. Yes, yes, those are my numbers—until it came to the ONE wrong number! My multi-million dollar jackpot became something like a few dollars! All because I missed ONE number.
That brings me to another ONE that I missed out on– I was on a long flight to Ghana, West Africa. I had already had a long layover in Minnesota. I was flying into Amsterdam and the pilot came on the speakers to announce that we could not land. It was too foggy! So, we circled and circled — I began to feel dizzy. Then the pilot’s voice came over the intercom and said, “Ladies and gentlemen, I hate to tell you this but we are about out of fuel. We are going to have to divert our flight to…” I can tell you this, if there is ONE thing you don’t want to hear your pilot say, it might just be “We are out of fuel…”
We sat for about three hours on a hot tarmac in Belgium (I think it was Belgium–I couldn’t really tell because they wouldn’t let us off the plane!) We finally reached Amsterdam right before my connecting flight departed. I was about ONE minute too late and it was the ONE flight to Ghana for that day. So, I can say that I spent ONE night in Amsterdam.
I guess I should include something about birth order. And, Amy, if you read this you know you are my ONE middle child! But, we all know that there can only be ONE “firstborn” child. If you are not in the highly honored place of being the “ONE-born..oops, I mean “first-born” then maybe, like me, you are the One-last born (otherwise known as the “baby” of the family!) If you are not the “ONE-Born” you know you will spend your life trying to keep up with the “ONE-born”. The only solace there is that the ONE-born will become a senior citizen FIRST!
Christians, such as me, believe that the One God, haShem (the Name) who is the God with many Names — El Shaddi, Y-hweh, and many, many more — had one begotten Son, whose name is Yeshua (Jesus). He is the One Messiah. He is the one path to eternal life, and the One Savior of all people whom He draws until himself through the power of the One Holy-Spirit and the ministry of the one true Gospel, which is found in the ONE Holy Bible, and that all believers are part of the ONE body of Christ, the holy catholic (doesn’t mean Catholic–like with the Pope in Rome, but means “united”) church.
In the Jewish tradition, there is only ONE day of atonement, Yom Kippur! There is only ONE place where the Holy Temple can be rebuilt (and therefore since 70 AD the Jewish people have lived without the presence of the Holy Temple). There is also only ONE land of the Jewish people, eretz-Yisrael (the land of Israel). Not only this but Jews believe in “arevut”, the idea that all Jews are responsible for one another, because all Jews are like ONE person. If you read the words to the song “Kol Yisrael” you’ll see this example of “ONE”. Part of it states,
“All Jews are responsible for each ONE. All Jews are “brothers”. ONE people with ONE heart.
ONE people , each pair is ONE. ONE people, as if they are ONE person. Hear O’ Israel, ONE people!
Of course, there is also the “Shema”, a Jewish affirmation of faith in the ONE God, The first line of the Shema, “Hear O Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is ONE”. The Shema is recited each morning and each evening by Jewish people (observant Jews, I should say.)
There’s just ONE other thing that I was thinking about this number ONE–
One day you and I will meet this One God, and He will look upon us to decide if we responded to His One Son, and if you and I will enter into His One Heavenly Presence- to spend the ONE ETERNITY with Him. We will be required to give account for the One life He gave to us, and what we did with it. We will have one opportunity to answer—
What will you say?
If you have been feeling insignificant in this great big place we call life, just remember the power of ONE. It only takes ONE person to change the world, for better or worse. Join TEAM KENYA 2009 and express your POWER OF ONE to make the world a better place!
Quick reminder: TEAM KENYA 2009 is still taking applications and registrations for our September work trip to Kenya. Read below about this mission and the work we will do. Contact us today for an application/registration packet. Space is limited to just 15-20 individuals with a real desire to reach out and make a real change in our world. And, while I’m thinking about ONE, there will only be ONE TEAM KENYA 2009! Don’t miss your chance to be a part of it! For more information visit www.lydiaministry.com
Deliciously Capricious 