I’m sure you’ve heard the story of the starfish . . .
An old man was wandering the beach and, as far as his eyes could see, starfish, washed up on the sand. In the distance he could see a young man stoop down, pick up a starfish and cast it back into the ocean. The old man watched him do this again and again. As they met, he said, “Young man, there are thousands of starfish up and down this beach. You can’t possibly throw everyone back. You will never make a difference.” But as the young man bent down again, picked up another starfish and threw it back, he said, “Well, it’ll make a difference to that one.”
He made a difference to that starfish.
As I walk Chipper every morning, we often pass a man walking a shy, sweet greyhound. Recently this man has taken to carrying a plastic grocery store bag with him, filling it with litter as he goes. One morning, as he was picking up broken glass, I thanked him for his effort in keeping our neighborhood streets clean. He said, “Well if I don’t do it, who will?”
He’s making a difference in our little neighborhood.
A friend and I had just finished a yummy, healthy dinner and were walking back to my car. We passed a very dirty, very smelly man asking for money to buy food. We passed by him, but then turned around and asked if we could buy him something to eat at the small, corner market behind us. He said yes, so off we went to find something nourishing. Slim pickings. But we ended up with a few packaged items and a bottle of water. We handed him the bag and $5.00. He was grateful and said, “Now I can eat at Denny’s.”
We made a difference for one night to a fearfully and wonderfully made homeless man.
Most days we are all overwhelmed with the need around us. Our world, our country, our city, our neighborhood, maybe even our family — It’s too much! The need is too great! The damage is too deep! What to do!? What to do!? So we do nothing.
Jesus says in the Parable of the Talents that a man went on a long trip. He called together his servants and entrusted his money to them while he was gone. To one, he gave five bags of silver, to the next, he gave two bags, and to the last, one bag —
dividing it in proportion to their abilities.
Matthew 25:14,15 (NLT)
In proportion to their abilities.
We have been given exactly what we need to live and do our life well, for our good and God’s glory.
Exactly what we need; in line with our abilities.
We do not need to be overwhelmed.
We do not need to despair about the little we offer to a war-torn world, a littered city, a homeless man.
We do not need to worry that our two bags will have less impact than another’s five bags.
The King of Kings and the Lord of Lords has entrusted us to do His work and given us exactly what we need to do that work, according to our abilities.
So, one starfish, one neighborhood, one hungry man at a time.
It will make a difference.
“Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love.”
― Mother Teresa
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