How To Make A Difference

During small group the other night, the discussion turned to how there is so much need in the world and how it can be overwhelming. Not only is it difficult to know where to jump in to help out, but we often wonder if what we're doing even makes a dent in a world that is broken and hurting. While I was sitting there listening to this discussion, a story sent to me this summer popped into my head. I wasn't confident in my ability to retell it and have it still retain the same impact as when you read it, so I didn't share it. But here I am a couple days later, still thinking that maybe the story is somewhat relevant to the discussion we had, so maybe I should do a blog entry. (And by the way, I'm still finding it amazing that a couple of you in small group are actually reading my blog! I'm thrilled you find it interesting enough to have visited more than once! :-D )


I hope everyone who reads this little story is as encouraged by it as I was the first time I read it.

THE STARFISH STORY
Author Unknown





Once upon a time there was an old man

who used to go to the ocean

to do his writing.

He had a habit of walking on the beach

before he began his work.

One day he was walking along the shore.

As he looked down the beach,

he saw a human figure moving like a dancer.

He smiled to himself to think of someone

who would dance to the day.

As he walked closer,

he saw that it was a young boy,

and the young boy wasn't dancing;

instead he was reaching down to the shore,

picking up something, and very gently

throwing it into the ocean.

As he got closer he called out,

"Good morning! What are you doing?"

The young boy paused, looked up and replied,

"Throwing starfish in the ocean."

The old man was intrigued, so he inquired,

"Why are you throwing starfish in the ocean?"

The young boy replied,

"The sun is up and the tide is going out.

And if I don't throw them in, they'll die."

The old man pondered on

that and replied, "But, young man,

don't you realize that there are miles

and miles of beach and starfish all along it?

You can't possibly make a difference!"

The young boy listened politely.

He then bent down, picked up another starfish,

and threw it into the sea past the breaking waves and said,

"It made a difference for that one."