The Power of 1

1 is the smallest whole number that has some sort of value. In mathematics the basic number set is called "Natural Numbers". Its first number is the number 1 because the way we count naturally is to go "1, 2, 3..." Notice, we do not start with 0. Why? Because 0 is nothing. 0 has no value whatsoever, unless you are dealing with integers but even then 0 has no value because it is neutral.

1...1...1.

Working at a Drop-In Centre for people who are homeless or living in poverty, I contemplate how I could have ended up like them. And I cannot help but think that any 1 "What if?" would land me there. For example, what if I turned to drugs instead of suicide to solve/hide my problems? What if I never told the guy that I liked him through a love letter the summer before? What if I did not decide to accept Christ at Acquire the Fire a year later?

The letter I mentioned above set the wheels in motion that lead to the event aty Acquire the Fire. Oh yeah! One insignificant love letter, just one, took me on the journey to accept Christ. And to think that almost 2000 years before that, one man dying on a cross "so that the world through Him might be saved" (Jn. 3:17-18ish). And almost 1billion people claim to be allied with that Man to this day (Ma=Jesus). Amazing, huh?

Face it, the number 1 is the most powerful number in the system of numbers. One choice, one event, one wrong turn and everything is changed probably forever. Even something as simple as one choice about whether you stop for coffee in the morning or not. For all you know, that choice kept you from being in a car crash.

Biblical example? One bad choice by Adam gave us this sinfallen, cursed world that is full of pain, death and suffering from a once original perfect creation that we currently live in. One choice by God to bring us back to Him caused Jesus, His Son, to be sacrificed for the sake of many. One choice by Joseph to be faithful to God no matter what saved the young Israelite nation from a famine. The one choice of Abram to trust God, changed his name into the founding father of my faith: Abraham.

Even the movie industry sees the power in this number. Star Wars: One choice to turn to the dark side cost Anakin Skywalker his identity, his wife, his twins because he never had a relationship with them, and his freedom from the inprisonment of the life support suit (aka Darth Vader suite). It also cost him is friendship with Obi Wan. Perhaps it was one bad choice on both sides, because maybe Obi Wan should have waited for Anakin to come to Coruscant instead of sneaking on the Padme's ship.

Spiderman: One choice by Peter Parke to not stop a criminal cost him and Aunt May Uncle Ben.

Real Life/Recent History: Did you know that Adolf Hitler wanted to become an artist at first? Yep, it's true. However, they chose to reject his application...One choice, and instead of being known as an artist, Hitler is known as a monster to the entire world. There is even no room for any mentioning of Hitler, Nazism, or any anti-semitism in Germany at all. All of that just because ONE college made ONE choice to reject ONE of their many applications...

Wow. The one choice is a powerful choice. To choose God over my own selfish desires, to choose sin over righteousness cost me everything, even if it is hard to choose. Remember my readers how powerful the number 1 is...