Just a Minute Summary

  • Last updated on March 25, 2021
"infobox Book"
nameJust a Minute: In the Heart of a Child, One Moment ... Can Last Forever
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translator
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authorWess Stafford
cover_artist
countryUnited States
languageEnglish languageEnglish
series
classificationNon-Fiction
genreReligion, Christian Living
publisherMoody Publishers; New Edition
release_dateJanuary 2012
media_typeHardcover, Kindle, Audiobook
pages224
isbnISBN-10 0802404723, ISBN-13 978-0802404725
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About the Author

The author, Wess Stafford, is the CEO and President of Compassion International, a charity which assists children via sponsorship programs.

About the Book

The book Just a Minute: In the Heart of a Child, One Moment ... Can Last Forever, the author asserts that a moment taken to help a child in some small way can have lasting repercussions.

The book contains numerous stories of people, famous and ordinary, whose lives were changed by a key encounter with an adult during their childhood. The author includes stories of the impact of encouragement and creativity (via the story of Albert Einstein) but also of the impact of abuse and cruelty (Adolph Hitler).

The author challenges readers to be intentional about creating those moments, where you can with a word, touch or deed, change someone else’s life for the better.

The book is divided into seven sections, each containing stories related to a theme:
  • Section 1: A Moment for Rescue
  • Section 2: A Moment to Build Self-Worth
  • Section 3: A Moment to Form Character
  • Section 4: A Moment to Discover Talent
  • Section 5: A Moment to Awaken the Spirit
  • Section 6: A Moment to Stretch the Mind
  • Section 7: A Moment to Realize One’s Calling
The author also includes (in section 5) a heart-wrenching tale of his own childhood sufferings in an abusive boarding school (some of which were also recorded in the author’s previous book, Too Small to Ignore). The horrific abuse he suffered, which might have made another man bitter, made Stafford compassionate, yet a warrior for justice, especially when it comes to children. In that chapter, he writes:

“But standing there alone on my chair, I had received my calling. In an instant, I had gone from victim to victor. I would, from that day forward, protect children! I would forever speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves.”

Stafford asks readers to recall their own childhood memories, to answer the question: “Who believed in you before you believed in yourself?” Remembering moments when someone encouraged us or believed in us, Stafford writes, should inspire us to do the same for someone else—especially a child.

There are no chance encounters, Stafford writes, asserting that “if God stands a child before you, for even just a minute, it is a divine appointment.” A small word or deed of encouragement to a child might change the trajectory of their life, he argues, telling “key childhood moments” stories of famous people from John Wesley to Albert Einstein. He also shares some beautiful moments where he found himself at a “divine appointment.”

Stafford’s message is simple: it only takes a moment to show love and compassion to a child, and that moment might be a significant one—perhaps changing a child’s destiny. He encourages readers to look for opportunities to change a life in “just a minute” of their time.

External Links

Categories: Self Help