As I walk through my local town, I often notice the buskers.

You know the scenario. Someone sitting on a folding stool or the floor with a guitar case open on the pavement, singing into a microphone and hoping people might stop long enough to throw in a few coins.

Some are brilliant. Some are enthusiastic. A few are perhaps still finding their musical calling!

And every time I see a busker I often reflect:

What if that’s a future worship leader in church?

Not because every busker will end up leading worship in church…..

….But because none of us really knows what chapter of someone else’s story we’re looking at.

We see a snapshot.

We see a moment in time.

We see somebody as they are today and quietly assume that today’s chapter is the whole book.

Yet life rarely works like that.

The student who is struggling may one day become the amazing teacher.

The person between jobs may go on to lead an organisation.

The shy teenager may become a confident speaker.

The busker on the high street may end up leading thousands in worship.

Life has taught me that today’s circumstances are often poor predictors of tomorrow’s possibilities.

I’ve lived long enough now to know that some of the chapters I least wanted to be in turned out not to be the chapters that defined the story. In fact, some of the things that once felt like endings were actually beginnings in disguise.

Over the last few weeks, as I’ve completed my master’s degree in faith based leadership alongside work, I’ve found myself reflecting on that again. Not because the qualification itself matters all that much, but because it is another reminder that progress is often made one small step at a time. The things that seem impossible are rarely conquered in a single leap. More often they are achieved through hundreds of ordinary days, simply putting one foot in front of the other.

Opportunities appear from nowhere. Doors open that weren’t visible before. Things that once felt permanent quietly pass away. Small, faithful steps taken day after day become journeys that, looking back, seem almost impossible.

Which is why I’ve learned to be careful about defining people by where they are today.

Including myself.

Perhaps there is someone in your life you’ve unconsciously written off.

Perhaps there is someone whose potential you cannot yet see. A busker in your life.

Or perhaps the person you’ve underestimated is you.

Either way, remember this:

Today is not the end of the story.

It’s just the chapter you’re reading right now.