Defining Experiences

Over the weekend, we spent time with a dear friend, Phenix Kline, and her husband, Sam, who we met for the first time.

They were visiting from California.

It has been 11 years since we first met Phenix, when she was a full-time missionary in Dunfermline.

She visited our home regularly back then, always with warmth and a quiet strength.

As we talked and reminisced, Phenix began sharing stories from those visits – small, seemingly ordinary moments to us.

But to her, they weren’t ordinary at all.

They were defining.

She remembered the feelings, the kindness and the impact, those moments had upon her.

The was one story in particular she shared about a pivotal leadership session I had facilitated for her and a number of her colleagues at the time.

I’d walked into the room with a whole bunch of leadership and personal development books and talked about each of them 1 by 1.

That moment, along with a few others had shaped her life in ways we never knew at the time.

It reminded me of something important: We often have no idea which parts of our lives will leave a mark on others.

And that is particularly the case, not only in the facilitation of a leadership or coaching session, but also in our day-to-day friendships and conversations.

We often learn so much in our quiet, everyday interactions.

And yet, they can echo for years.

What small moment have you been part of lately that might matter more than you think?