My freshman year in high school, Vanessa came.

She was like a celestial alien landing on my campus. She had been homeschooled at a time when homeschooling was pretty much unheard of. She was smart. She was strong. She was calm. She was unusually smiley. Her kindness, her courage, probably her well-kept attire as well, swept her in to the Cool Crowd at school.

But unlike the rest of the socially apt, athletically dominant, beautiful teenagers, she didn’t meld into the mass. Vanessa kept her passions. She stayed distinct. Before long, she had the popular kids at school going to Christian conferences and activities. She brought Jesus to my high school, and with her beautiful character, she pulled a crowd of spirit-starved teens after her.

It was Jesus who empowered Vanessa to be her beautiful self and it was He who started the kindness trend 2000 years before.

With the strength God gives, it just takes one to lead a crowd to God.

Noah led his family through the flood. Moses led Israel through the wilderness. Queen Esther led the Jewish people to safety. Lydia led her family to baptism and to follow Jesus. Paul led uncountable masses to God.

Jesus’ life of love and His obedience to God saves us. We, in turn, can lead the crowd around us, too.