It's Never Too Late to Make a Difference

Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people.

Colossians 3:23 (NLT)

Brian Wheeler is an incredible example of how it’s never too late to make a difference.  After spending nearly 30 years in the automotive industry as an auto-body repairman and mechanic, Brian returned to college to earn a degree and in December of 2008, at the age of 48, he graduated from Sacramento State with a bachelors degree in Vocational Education.

In January of 2010, after getting his Teaching Credential, he found a teaching position at Alhambra High School in Martinez. In 2011, he received recognition as the “Best New Automotive Teacher in North America” from the North American Council of Automotive Teachers.  Students go out of their way just to take his class.

This year, a team from Brian’s class won first place in the Northern California division of the Ford-AAA Automotive Repair Competition! They were recently featured on a CBS SF Bay Area news broadcast.  Two of his students won this competition last year as well. The prize for first place is a large scholarship to a top technical school for each member of the team.    This scholarship is a tremendous opportunity that gives students a head start in a great career. When discussing his work, he said,

“I love working with these kids…They think I’m just teaching them about cars. They don’t realize that I’m teaching them about life.”

Often we end up thinking that the only way to make a difference  is by doing something grand and impressive. When we think that way, we lose sight of what’s right in front of us. One of the most impressive things we can do is to approach what we do with passion, dedication and love for those we work with. That’s how we make a difference in the lives of the people around us.