April 6th, 2026
By: Gabi Pope
One of the very first things I had the privilege of doing with the revival kids was traveling to a small church in Hayden to help lead a kids crusade. I remember walking in not fully knowing what to expect, but knowing God was going to move in big ways.
Before we ever stepped onto that stage, Tabitha gave us a simple instruction that has stayed with me ever since: learn one child’s name and learn what they love.
It sounded so small, so simple. Almost easy to overlook in the middle of preparing lessons, organizing games, and getting ready to speak to a room full of kids.
But that was the whole point!!
Because the mission was never about the crowd. It was always for the one, for the One.
For the one soul in that room who needed to be seen. For the one heart that needed to know they mattered. For the One who gave His life for us. I didn’t realize just how deeply that would mark me until I met him.
A small child who, to most people, might have just blended into the group, but not to God. I learned his full name. I learned that his favorite color was green. I remember him telling me so plainly, “I’m not athletic… I prefer video games.” I remember on the last night of the crusade he looked at me and said “Julia Gabrielle Pope, I will be doing what you do one day. I want to bring everyone I know to know Jesus too!”
Something about that moment stuck with me, and will stick with me forever! It’s been over five years, and I still talk about him often. Not because of something big or dramatic, but because of how God used something so small to shift something so deep inside of me!
That child wasn’t just a face in the crowd. He was the one, the one that I was sent to look for that night. The one that God ordained for me to meet!
That’s where everything changed for me. Because how often do we chase the big moments? The full rooms, the loud responses, the visible impact. We measure effectiveness by numbers, by reach, by how many hands were raised. But Heaven doesn’t count the way we do. Heaven stops for the one that we would often overlook.
Jesus said in Luke 15:4, “If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them gets lost, what will he do? Won’t he leave the ninety-nine others in the wilderness and go to search for the one that is lost until he finds it?”
He leaves the ninety-nine for one. He notices the one sitting in the back. The one who doesn’t feel like they fit. The one who quietly believes they’ll never be chosen.
And if I’m being honest, I used to miss that. I used to focus on doing something meaningful for God… while overlooking the very person He placed right in front of me.
But that one child taught me something I’ll never forget:
We do it all for that one opportunity. That one conversation. That one moment of connection. That one chance to reflect the love of Jesus to someone who may have never truly felt it before. Because when you really see someone the way God sees them, everything shifts.
They’re no longer just another person in your day, they are a soul. A soul that may be lost, wandering, searching for something they can’t quite name. A soul that was created with purpose, deeply loved, and worth everything. 2 Peter 3:9 reminds us, “The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent.”
Not anyone. Not even the one we might overlook. And suddenly, interruptions become divine appointments. The quick conversations matter more. The small acts hold more weight. The moments no one else notices… feel Holy and on time. Because bringing someone home to Him doesn’t always start with a stage or a sermon. Sometimes it starts with learning their name, remembering their favorite color, or listening when they speak. It is choosing to see them!! It is meeting them where they currently are!!
I think about that child often, not just because of who he was, but because of what God showed me through him. That if I spend my life pouring into crowds but miss the one, I’ve missed the heart of God. Because we lead for the one soul that needs saving, but we also do it for the One who gave everything to save us. Luke 19:10 says, “For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost.”
And when I remember that I was once the one…lost, wandering, unseen, it humbles me in a way nothing else can. Romans 5:8 puts it so simply: “But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.”
He didn’t wait for me to have it all together. He came for me when I was the one. So now I find myself praying differently. “God, help me not miss the one today.” Not the loudest or the most obvious. But the one You’re highlighting. Because if everything I do points even one person back to Him, it will always be worth it.
One of the very first things I had the privilege of doing with the revival kids was traveling to a small church in Hayden to help lead a kids crusade. I remember walking in not fully knowing what to expect, but knowing God was going to move in big ways.
Before we ever stepped onto that stage, Tabitha gave us a simple instruction that has stayed with me ever since: learn one child’s name and learn what they love.
It sounded so small, so simple. Almost easy to overlook in the middle of preparing lessons, organizing games, and getting ready to speak to a room full of kids.
But that was the whole point!!
Because the mission was never about the crowd. It was always for the one, for the One.
For the one soul in that room who needed to be seen. For the one heart that needed to know they mattered. For the One who gave His life for us. I didn’t realize just how deeply that would mark me until I met him.
A small child who, to most people, might have just blended into the group, but not to God. I learned his full name. I learned that his favorite color was green. I remember him telling me so plainly, “I’m not athletic… I prefer video games.” I remember on the last night of the crusade he looked at me and said “Julia Gabrielle Pope, I will be doing what you do one day. I want to bring everyone I know to know Jesus too!”
Something about that moment stuck with me, and will stick with me forever! It’s been over five years, and I still talk about him often. Not because of something big or dramatic, but because of how God used something so small to shift something so deep inside of me!
That child wasn’t just a face in the crowd. He was the one, the one that I was sent to look for that night. The one that God ordained for me to meet!
That’s where everything changed for me. Because how often do we chase the big moments? The full rooms, the loud responses, the visible impact. We measure effectiveness by numbers, by reach, by how many hands were raised. But Heaven doesn’t count the way we do. Heaven stops for the one that we would often overlook.
Jesus said in Luke 15:4, “If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them gets lost, what will he do? Won’t he leave the ninety-nine others in the wilderness and go to search for the one that is lost until he finds it?”
He leaves the ninety-nine for one. He notices the one sitting in the back. The one who doesn’t feel like they fit. The one who quietly believes they’ll never be chosen.
And if I’m being honest, I used to miss that. I used to focus on doing something meaningful for God… while overlooking the very person He placed right in front of me.
But that one child taught me something I’ll never forget:
We do it all for that one opportunity. That one conversation. That one moment of connection. That one chance to reflect the love of Jesus to someone who may have never truly felt it before. Because when you really see someone the way God sees them, everything shifts.
They’re no longer just another person in your day, they are a soul. A soul that may be lost, wandering, searching for something they can’t quite name. A soul that was created with purpose, deeply loved, and worth everything. 2 Peter 3:9 reminds us, “The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent.”
Not anyone. Not even the one we might overlook. And suddenly, interruptions become divine appointments. The quick conversations matter more. The small acts hold more weight. The moments no one else notices… feel Holy and on time. Because bringing someone home to Him doesn’t always start with a stage or a sermon. Sometimes it starts with learning their name, remembering their favorite color, or listening when they speak. It is choosing to see them!! It is meeting them where they currently are!!
I think about that child often, not just because of who he was, but because of what God showed me through him. That if I spend my life pouring into crowds but miss the one, I’ve missed the heart of God. Because we lead for the one soul that needs saving, but we also do it for the One who gave everything to save us. Luke 19:10 says, “For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost.”
And when I remember that I was once the one…lost, wandering, unseen, it humbles me in a way nothing else can. Romans 5:8 puts it so simply: “But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.”
He didn’t wait for me to have it all together. He came for me when I was the one. So now I find myself praying differently. “God, help me not miss the one today.” Not the loudest or the most obvious. But the one You’re highlighting. Because if everything I do points even one person back to Him, it will always be worth it.
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