Game Changers

Written by Jeff Alexander

Who was St. Monica, other than the namesake of the city in southwest California? On this Mother’s Day, it was interesting to hear from Father David Hart the story of St. Monica and her more-famous child, Augustine of Hippo. Before the latter became one of the most important “deep thinkers” of the early church, Augustine led a pretty self-indulgent life of wine, women and song, and became a devotee of non-Christian beliefs and philosophies while away at school in the big city of Carthage. Monica, however, was a devoted Christian, and kept at her son, praying for him and pleading with him to put his belief in Jesus. Augustine eventually became not just a believer, but devoted his life and great mind to working for God.

In Augustine’s life, Monica was the game changer. Without her, he was living it up; he even snuck away from her while they were both in Rome. But Monica was tenacious; she caught up with him in Milan, where Augustine eventually was baptized into the Christian church. Her interventions brought him to a place where he came to faith, and the rest is (literally) history.

The term “game changer” gets tossed around with regularity in the mainstream media. It reflects the point in an event that shifts the momentum significantly. The British media labeled now-former Prime Minister Gordon Brown’s “bigoted woman” gaffe the game changer of the recent election.

Father David challenged us to think about the “game changers” in our lives. Whom has God put in our paths to point us to Him? What circumstances have brought us to a deeper faith, possibly through a crisis? Do others see us as their game changers?

It is at the same time humbling and amazing to consider how God works all things to His plan. Please note: I am not saying that God makes all things happen, and tragedies and victories are both slapped with a generic “good” label. Horrible, heart-wrenching things happen in this world with regularity, just as do joyous, miraculous and triumphant things. But God works within human history – sometimes more directly than others – to bring about goodness and to shine His light in the world. And the ultimate goodness is that souls are won to Him to spend eternity in a new heaven and new earth where horrors and tragedies aren’t even memories, and where “coincidence” isn’t found in the dictionary.

Make the most of your opportunities to change the game for someone every day.