Chances are you’ve never heard of Dixie Thompson. She was the music director for one of the churches my husband pastored. Descriptors for Dixie would include:
(We performed “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” in 1998. That’s me on the right.)
- Gifted; directing all aspects of a musical (instruments, choir, players, narrator, stage crew, sound technician, etc.–and making it look easy)
- Talented; bringing the best out of each participant
- Good listener; not interrupting, seeking to understand
- Unflappable; calm under fire
- Encouraging; often writing notes of appreciation
When I happened to be with Dixie at a restaurant or store, we’d always run into people she knew. And everybody wanted to talk to Dixie. She made each person feel important to her.
Much sooner than we would have liked, God chose to take Dixie home to heaven. She died of a brain tumor several years after my husband had been assigned to another church.
Hundreds of people attended her funeral. And the numerous stories told that afternoon gave indication of Dixie’s widespread impact.
Does that sound appealing—to influence for good the people around you?
In fact, that’s a normal desire:
“The drive to significance is a simple extension of the creative impulse of God that gave us being . . . We were built to count as water is made to run downhill. We are placed in a specific context to count in ways that no one else does. That is our destiny” [1].
But to accomplish our destiny requires determination. Determination to:
Accept who we are and where we are (Psalm 138:8)
‘Feeling ordinary? Insignificant? Unseen? Your feelings are lying to you!
“There is no such thing as an insignificant person or an insignificant place or an insignificant position” [2].
Granted, some people are like Waterford crystal, refracting the light and drawing praise. Others of us feel as forgettable as a compost bin.
Just remember: Crystal can be fragile, but that unremarkable compost bin offers “rich possibilities for fertilizing the lives of others” [3].
Pray to be prepared (Psalm 143:10)
“God’s recipe for significance is to get low, not high, to commit our plans to the Lord in prayer, not to move ahead without a sense of his blessing and guidance ”[4].
We can pray each day that God will work and speak through us to benefit those we encounter.
Invest in others (1 Thessalonians 5:11)
“A life isn’t significant except for its impact on other lives” (Jackie Robinson).
And impact occurs as we help and support, share and give, listen and encourage, challenge and celebrate those around us.
Cumulate words and deeds (Zechariah 4:10a)
“Never underestimate the power of a simple act of kindness or an encouraging word” [5].
Sometimes what seems like ordinary conversation and ordinary gestures actually add up to far-reaching impact.
I think of my grandmother, whose steady faith over the course of her life, her consistent kindness, overriding serenity, and more still inspire me, more than fifty years after she went home to her beloved Jesus.
Model / Be an example (Matthew 5:16)
An impactful example can occur even when we’re unaware.
“With every deed you are sowing a seed, though the harvest you may not see.”—Ella Wheeler Wilcox.
Words are seeds too. Even an overheard conversation might be just the catalyst to turn a mind toward Christ.
[Be] Tenacious of faith (1 Corinthians 15:58)
We can determine to be tenacious, faithful, and watchful people, always attentive to those persons God puts in front of us, and seeking to honor him by honoring them. Then “we trust there will be fruit whether we see it or not” [6].
Stir these actions into your life . . .
- I nvestment in others
- M odeling / Be an example
- P rayers of preparation
- A cceptance of who we are and where we are
- C umulation of simple words and deeds
- T enacity of faith
. . . and you will indeed provide IMPACT in this world, an impact that extends into eternity.
No doubt people are still entering heaven’s gates who were impacted by the legacy of Dixie Thompson, and even of my dear grandmother.
[1] Dallas Willard, The Divine Conspiracy: Rediscovering Our Hidden Life in God, quoted by Sara Hagerty in Unseen, 40.
[2] Anne Graham Lotz, The Vision of His Glory, 77.
[3] illustration from Maggie Wallem Row, This Life We Share, 15.
[4] Dane Ortlund, In the Lord I Take Refuge, 359.
[5] Dorothea Shields, https://liviingmagazine.net/a-life-of-significance
[6] Hilary Yancey, contributor to A Moment to Breathe, 135.
Image credits: Steve Ruegg; http://www.pickpik.com; http://www.canva.com; http://www.pick.pik.com; http://www.canva.com; http://www.dailyverses.net; http://www.canva.com.
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I thought of Ephesians 2:10 as I read your post
That’s another good one I could have included. Thanks for bringing it to our attention, Matt!
A beautiful post, Nancy. She sounds like a person who could change the world for good!
A very lovely testimony of an important member of your church. I find the people who have the most influence on me are fellow church members. We are all part of the same family when we’re bonded through Jesus.
What a beautiful commendation of a godly life. Love that acronym for impact. Like that I can remember it. Thanks for the encouragement
Saturday I celebrated the homecoming of a dear friend. One of the things that impressed me most about him was the way he treated servers at restaurants. Right off the bat, he learned their names and then used them often during the meal. He engaged the server so he found out something about them. He looked at them directly. And he left a good tip. Right now, he is walking streets of gold with his Savior. Perhaps they are talking about all the people he made a personal contact with and how that impacted them. He was active in supporting the work of the Gideons. He will be missed on Earth.
Thank you, Nancy, for singing here about the proverbial unsung hero that Dixie was for the Lord. So many of His saints and servants work quietly behind the scenes, but the legacy they leave is worth an angel chorus of praise. May we all acknowledge the Dixies in our lives and pray that God would help us to leave such impressions on the lives of others. Blessings!
I remember Dixie! All your adjectives describe her perfectly; especially “unflappable”. The “I’ll be Home for Christmas play was my favorite one that you were in. You were exceptional; some good comedic timing as well. Thought of you on National Day of Prayer. Remembering how we prayed together during lunch a few times.
Praying you, Steve, and your extended families are well.
This is one that I want to keep and read again and again. You left an IMPACT on me with your wise words. And I have never thought I would want to be compared to a compost bin but I do now! 🙂
It was lovely to read about someone like Dixie who had that joy about them and drew people and had a lasting impact on people. I really like what you shared about being a compost bin but having the opportunity to richly fertilise the lives of others. I think we can forget our value when we feel unseen. This was a good reminder to keep being who God called you to be and being His hands and feet in whatever capacity He has enabled in us.