Dante LaCivita. He was a 5'5" Italian kid from Youngstown Ohio. Only child of a single mom - who like me hadn't had life handed to him on a silver platter.

We met my freshman year of college and spent a lot of time over the next four years hanging, laughing and seeing the world from two completely different view points. I was the straight-laced, eldest child of a very conservative family and Dante was, well, sort of an Italian hippie. Not so much the long hair and peace signs (although he did have a lot of tie dye in his room) but more of a "come what may" attitude about life. I was a worrier and he just knew that things were going to work out. I remember one time in particular talking to him about a missions trip that our school was hosting to Africa and how I really wanted to go but the cost just seemed so huge. A few days later Dante showed up with an envelope full of money that he had collected from some of the other guys on a floor - over $700. I was stunned.

But in this story and in so many others throughout our lives it's rarely what we feel equipped to do that God calls us to. Dante didn't have money to speak of but he was driven to give what he could and I won't ever be able to thank him enough for what his actions meant to me.

Just like Dante, we as Christ followers may not feel like we're able to contribute much to other's lives. What does smiling, giving $20 or even praying mean in the scheme of life or eternity? And you're right - that $20 probably doesn't mean anything in the light of eternity - but your actions, your love, your care for another person's life does more than they could ever express.

As we focus on outreach remember it's not what we're equipped to do that makes the difference - it's allowing God to use what little we have to reach out beyond ourselves and our inabilities and maybe, just maybe become someone else's Italian hippie.

Justin Fratt
Adult Ministries Director