By Jennifer McPherson

Quite some time ago, I had a dream that has stayed with me ever since. In the dream, I was walking along a path, heading somewhere important. I was running late for an event I needed to attend, and all my focus was fixed on reaching my destination as quickly as possible.

While on this path, a man approached me. He was disheveled—worn down by life—and it was clear he had been through more than most could imagine. He began to speak, sharing his need for help. But the place he needed me to go was in the opposite direction of where I was heading.

I felt the weight of his request. But I was late, and I believed I couldn’t afford to lose time. I told him I couldn’t assist him and turned away, continuing toward where I thought I needed to be. He followed for a short while, then disappeared.

Not long after, another person approached me. This time it was a woman—well-dressed, well-spoken, put together. And yet, her need was the same. She also needed help, and helping her meant turning around.

But again, I repeated my response.
I can’t help you. I’m running late.
And just like before, I left her behind.

The Struggle to Keep Up

As I sit here reflecting on that dream, it brings me back to a season where I constantly felt like I was running behind—like no matter how hard I tried, I was never quite “on time.” It felt as though there was an invisible finish line I had to reach before it was too late.

All my energy, time, and focus went toward pursuing a destination I truly believed God wanted me to reach. But in truth, that dream wasn’t about being late for an event.
It was a call—a gentle but firm invitation—to pause and reconsider what matters most.

The Ministry of the One

This message is not about titles, platforms, or positions.
It is about something far simpler—and far more profound:

The ministry of loving the one.

Jesus told us He leaves the ninety-nine to go after the one. That is the heart of God. He values every person so deeply that He would set aside everything else to rescue just one soul.

And I believe He calls us to do the same.

Yet when I look back over my own life, I can see how often I’ve done the opposite. For years, I ignored the needs of “the one”—whether that one was my children, my boss, my friends, or even a stranger on the street. They all came second to my pursuit of reaching what I thought was the goal.

I wasn’t intentionally cold or uncaring…
I was simply fixated on getting somewhere God was not actually asking me to go.

Restoring the Heart of Ministry

I believe God is restoring something vital within His church:
the true heart of ministry.

He is raising up leaders who understand that people are not tools to be used to fulfill our callings.
People are the calling.

They are the very expression of God’s heart.

The success of ministry is not measured by how many events we host, how many people sit in our buildings, how many views we get, or how impressive our achievements look.

The real measure of ministry is found in how well we love the one.

Love Never Fails

Everything else will fade.
Every accomplishment, every milestone, every notable moment—none of it lasts forever.

But love?
Love never fails.

The love we give…the time we take…the compassion we show…the willingness to stop our busy pace and truly see someone—that is what makes an eternal mark.

If we want to reflect God’s heart, we must be willing to lay down our own pursuits and ambitions long enough to embrace the ministry of loving the one right in front of us.

So let me ask you:
Who is the one in your life right now?
Who is God asking you to slow down for—to see, to hear, to help, to love?

The ministry of the one isn’t glamorous.
It’s rarely convenient.
It’s often uncomfortable.

But it is the very heartbeat of God.

Let’s return to the ministry of loving the one.
Not someday.
Not when life slows down.
Not when the “important things” are finished.

Let’s love the one today.