Are You Making an Impact?

Most times, people honor their fathers or the special men in their lives as a result of the positive impact they made on them. I remember my dad for his gentleness and his love for peace and family. He was known to stick his neck out to a fault for family and friends. Anytime there is as little as a discord-related hiccup in the family today, nine out of 10 times someone will say, “If your dad were alive, he would have prevented it.”

I remember my favorite maternal Uncle Kwashie for his remarkable generosity– a visit to his office or house always ended up with him reaching deeply into his pocket or wallet and blessing you with a handsome sum of money. I fondly recall my Uncle Augustus because he never failed to lend me his ears anytime I called complaining about this and that—even though when I look back now, these were often very petty things his ears had no business stomaching. Rather than ward me off, he always created the time to take my call, listen, encourage, and end up planting a huge smile on my face. When he died unexpectedly at 50, I was severely shaken, but with time, the echo of his encouraging words and good deeds gave me the peace to let go and let God.

So how are you impacting those around you?

There are other men, including strangers, who’ve left good prints on my path in life. One is the famous radio broadcaster Tom Dooley of Mastermind Media, who I had the opportunity to meet in person at a function in 2008. I’d been listening to his popular The One Year Audio Bible narration and commentary at 5:30 am on the radio for more than a year. It was a big deal for me finally match the voice I was so used to with the face of a true gentleman. I handed him a copy of MannaEXPRESS (when it was in print) and I will always remember how he encouraged and prayed and collected some copies from me. Not too long after, I heard he had a brain tumor and underwent surgery to remove it. I was hopeful for his speedy recovery and return to his popular show. In the meantime, I placed The One Year Audio Bible app on the MannaEXPRESS website and was part of a group of family and friends who routinely listened to it every morning.

A few months passed and I decided to check if he was back on the air in person. Alas, I got the rudest shock as I read of his passing away two months earlier. I was numb with disbelief, sad, and kept asking the Lord, “Why Tom Dooley?” 

The beauty in the ashes of his departure is the impact he is still making till this day. My family members, friends, and his huge following can listen to him any time of the day via his “The Daily Journey Audio Bible” app. My niece Ella and I are always excited to talk about how his tone set the scene and painted the picture of a Bible passage on a given day.  Pardon me, but I have to repeat my previous question: How are you impacting those around you? Nothing beats making a difference in the life of others. 

May E. Oyairo is the Publisher of MannaXPRESS.