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Have You Been to Walmart? A Small Moment, A Big Christmas Message

  • Writer: Dr. Mark Hedger
    Dr. Mark Hedger
  • Dec 21, 2025
  • 5 min read

My first year of teaching over thirty years ago was at a school district located in the same town as Whiteman Air Force Base, home of the B-2 Stealth Bomber. I was a young guy from just outside of Kansas City who had barely been out of the state, and suddenly I found myself teaching primary grade level children who had lived all over the world. These were seven and eight-year-olds casually dropping comments like, “When we lived in Germany…” or “When we were in France…”


I remember feeling a bit out of place. Here I was, a six-foot five-inch first year teacher, tasked with educating a bunch of four footers, and their experiences dwarfed mine in terms of travel and exposure. I hadn’t been anywhere nearly that exotic or exciting. There was one particular student, a precocious little girl named Regina, whose personality was even brighter than her smile. She had a particularly difficult time understanding that my travel experience was so limited. One day after yet another round of questions about where I’d been, Regina reached over, took my hand, and asked with genuine concern, “Mr. Hedger, have you been to Walmart?”

I laughed then—and still do when I think about it—but her question has stuck with me for years. In her mind Walmart was the universal landmark, the ultimate point of connection. She was simply trying to relate, to make sense of her teacher’s world.


What is the lesson?


That moment taught me something profound about perspective, connection, and calling. At first, I only saw the humor of it. However, as I reflected, I realized that what she did in that innocent question is what God calls us to do as educators and as Christians. We are to look for ways to connect with people, even when their experiences are vastly different from our own.


Her simple question reminded me that people—no matter their background—are always searching for something familiar, something shared, something that bridges the gap between their story and ours. For that little girl, Walmart represented the one place she could assume everyone had experienced. For me, it became a reminder that the Gospel itself is that universal point of connection, the one truth that reaches across cultures, languages, and life experiences.


What seemed ordinary or small to me was monumental to her. In that exchange, God whispered a reminder I’ve never forgotten. You don’t have to have been everywhere to make a difference where you are. When Jesus ministered on earth, He constantly met people in the middle of their ordinary lives—fishermen mending nets, tax collectors at their booths, women drawing water from a well. He didn’t demand that they first travel the world or earn credentials to connect with Him. He stepped into their world.


As educators and leaders, we’re called to do the same. Whether it’s a student struggling to fit in, a parent trying to navigate deployment, or a staff member feeling unseen, our ministry begins when we choose to be present in their moment. We may not share their experiences, but we can share God’s love in a way that’s relatable and real.


That’s what Paul meant when he wrote in 1 Corinthians 9:22, “I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some.” He wasn’t pretending to be something he wasn’t; he was simply willing to find common ground so that others might experience Christ’s truth through him. For me, that meant realizing that being a small-town teacher in a world-traveling classroom wasn’t a weakness; it was an opportunity. Those students didn’t need me to have been everywhere. They needed me to love them right where they were. God didn’t call me to impress them with my experiences. He called me to invest in their lives with His truth.


What does Scripture say?


Acts 1:8 says, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Notice the order. Jerusalem is listed first. Before going to “the ends of the earth,” Jesus told His followers to start right where they were. For me, “Jerusalem” was a classroom full of military kids in rural Missouri. For others, it might be a school office, a board meeting, or a bus route. The point is that ministry begins with presence, faithfully showing up where God has placed you.


Another verse that echoes this truth is Colossians 3:23-24. “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward.” Whether you’re teaching phonics, leading staff development, or cleaning up after lunch duty, your work has eternal value when it’s done for Christ.


How does this pertain to Christian educators?


That little girl named Regina didn’t need a teacher who’d been to Germany or France. She needed someone who cared enough to be present in her world that day. That’s the same thing our students and staff need from us now. They need a leader who’s present, authentic, and willing to meet them where they are. Sometimes God’s greatest work isn’t done around the world but right across the hallway.


As we move toward Christmas, remember that the heart of the season is this: God came near. Jesus didn’t arrive in a palace or among the world-traveled or influential. He stepped into a small town, into an ordinary place, and met humanity right where we were. The miracle of Christmas is that God chose presence over position, connection over distance. That’s still our calling as Christian educators—to show up, be present, and bring His love into the everyday moments that may feel simple to us but mean the world to someone else.


So, the next time you’re tempted to think your story is too small or your experience too local, remember that God delights in using the ordinary for His extraordinary purposes. After all, He once used a seven-year-old girl and a Walmart question to remind me that you don’t have to travel far to make an eternal impact. Maybe faithfulness isn’t about how far you’ve gone but how deeply you’ve loved right where you are.


Merry Christmas!


Mark Hedger, is the current Superintendent at Strafford R-VI Schools. He can be reached at markh@straffordschools.net




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