The title of my article is borrowed from a book of great truth. Some books, although not biblical in origin, bear great truth nonetheless. Had I read this book several weeks ago, I may have saved myself a great deal of labor.

Because a Little Bug went Ka-Choo, is more than a child’s book of the Dr. Seuss series. It is in my opinion a manuscript of sacred truth often unrealized in the life of a leader.

Let me explain, in Because a Little Bug went Ka- Choo, Rosetta Stone describes the extreme chain of events that unfold as a result of a little bug sneezing. At first a seed is dropped. Of which a worm gets hit, who then gets mad and kicks a tree. Because he kicks the tree a coconut drops causing the turtle to get bopped… And so on until the final scene describes the entire town turned into utter chaos as fire trucks and town parades collide into a frenzied explosion of pandemonium.

A friend gave me this book the other night after I finished the complete renovation of her kitchen. The inscription she wrote inside the first page of the book says, “Jim, let this book be a reminder the next time someone calls you to help them install just a stove.”

Here’s how it started. Alison’s father bought her a stove for her birthday. He called me to see if I could install it for him. Sounds easy enough, so off I go to help my friend. After the opening was measured, it was found that the new stove was 1 inch larger than the old one which meant that the counter top was going to have to be cut. However, Jim can’t just cut the counter top and get out of there. No, he reads in the newest Menards add that counter tops are on sale for 44.00. 44.00, that’s a penance for what it will do for the look of the kitchen! After explaining to Alison’s dad that it is just as easy to install a new counter top as it is to remove the old one, cut it, re-laminate new sides and then re- install it. The dad says, “Go for it!”

So we take the old counter top off and find that the wall behind it is extremely deteriorated and the cabinets are destroyed from a leak in the drain that had been around for quite some time. Drywall needs replaced as a result and the wiring updated. And so on and so on… At each turn, we find that something extra is needed to be done.

To make a long story short, when we were finished, Alison had a kitchen complete with new drywall, plumbing, electric switches and outlets, lighting, a water line for the ice maker, garbage disposal, sink, faucets, linoleum, carpet strips, breakfast bar, an enlarged doorway, exhaust fan, oak cabinets, and yes…a new stove. However, now that we removed the washing machine from the kitchen, a new utility room has been plumbed and is waiting on a gas line to be installed in order to supply the dryer. When that’s done, I’m sneaking in there in the cover of night to hook up that dryer before anyone gets any more bright ideas.

And it all started because a little bug sneezed. Or in this case, because Alison’s dad bought here a stove for her birthday.

Do we ever consider the sneezes in our life that begin a chain of far-reaching events. Who would have ever thought that the desire of Christopher Columbus to find new trade route would end up a new found continent of several nations and a Super Power in our present day world.

Who would have thought that a prayer meeting in a bible college would lead to a movement which would lead to an outpouring which would reach around the world affecting millions of people.

Who would have thought that a bug sneezing would create a chain of events which would someday change the landscape of the entire world.

Who would have thought that your prayer would ultimately affect so many people. Who would have thought that your financial gift to a struggling ministry would culminate in a nation being reached with Truth. Who would have thought that your almost insignificant sacrifice would accomplish so much. Only the fulfillment of lifetimes will tell the whole story.

You may wonder at times if your work for God is nothing more than a “sneeze”. You may question if it is even significant. What will it lead to? What will come of it? Who will be affected? How many will follow?

Can I suggest to you that your lifetime may not provide the answer to that question. Your influence on someone’s life may in fact reach beyond your years.

How could Martin Luther have known what would come of his conviction? Who would have thought that my life would be forever changed by the lesson a Sunday School teacher shared with her 5 year old class. (One of here students told me I had to be baptized in order to get to Heaven.)

Who can measure the potential of a sneeze. What will be the result of their consequence. Time will tell. Eternity will give a summation.

In short, your ministry matters. The work you do will make a difference. Lives will be changed. You may feel that you are only planting seeds, but know that the God of the harvest will cause your little seed to come to fruition. When it does, it will be more than you can measure.