What our future holds

Saturday evening, as we all got together for our pastor's anniversary dinner, I got a chance to see and talk to Fredrick.

He's home from Lamar University for a couple of weeks before he goes back to begin summer school and resume working. He only gets the chance to come home a few times each year because Beaumont is about 5 hours away.

As I watched Fredrick, I sat in awe.

Fredrick has been a part of Central Dallas Church since he was around 7 or 8. When Fredrick comes home, he blends back in as if he never left...except he has left...and he will be a junior at Lamar in the fall.

Not long after Fredrick arrived at the dinner, six little boys (all under the age of 7 and all cousins...but not related to Fredrick), came racing to the front door and tumbled into the community center. The boys chose their table nearly before their families even got in the door. Fredrick joined the boys. I don't recall him being asked to sit with them or to watch over them, but he did. ...Bathroom trips...dinner supervision...Fredrick was on the job. Afterward, he followed them to the games in the recreation area and hung out with them while they played.

I don't know that Fredrick realizes the impact of what he did and continues to do--from persevering through college challenges to role modeling for young children. He does it naturally and effortlessly. Whether he realizes it or not, I know he is making an impact.

I look forward to the day when some of the kids Fredrick has inadvertently mentored are in the same place he is...and turning around to mentor other kids just like Fredrick did them.