A few months ago I made the decision to dedicate more time to reading. The first book that I picked up was “Weird” by Craig Groeschel. It’s an amazing book that is easy to read and filled with humor; I have been recommending it to any and every one who will listen to me and who loves Jesus. One section of it really stuck out to me and keeps popping up as I continue my struggle to find my purpose and place in the world:
“Every Starfish Matters”
One day an older gentleman was strolling down the beach and saw a young boy frantically picking up stranded starfish and throwing them back into the ocean. Noticing hundreds, if not thousands, of displaced starfish washed up on the shore, the polite gentleman laughed softly as he approached the eager boy. “Hey there, youngster,” he said compassionately. “You really shouldn’t waste your time. There’s too many of them. You’ll never be able to make a difference.”
Looking up, the boy held a single starfish in his palm and suddenly hurled the creature full force back into the ocean. “I made a difference to that one!” he said and continued on his mission.
When you break out of the normal mode and allow your burden to grow, chances are good that it will feel futile at times. You’ll hear a voice chiding, “you might as well give up. You can’t change anything. What difference is that really going to make?”
When you hear this voice of doubt, remember, you can’t do everything, but you can do something. Every Starfish Matters.
As your burden grows, as it begins to break your heart and open your eyes, don’t hesitate to take action. Like Nehemiah, you might weep, fast and pray. Then get up and do something about it. Ask for help. Raise money. Take a trip. Write a chapter. Start a blog. Foster a child. Become a Big Brother. Launch a ministry. Do something. You can’t do everything. But you can do something.
Years ago someone wrote this powerful prayer. It’s my prayer for all of us who long for more than gratification or normal blessings.
May God bless you with discomfort at easy answers, half truths, and superficial relationships, so that you may live deep within your heart. May God bless you with anger at injustice, oppression, and exploitation of people, so that you may work for justice, freedom and peace. May God bless you with tears to shed for those who suffer from pain, rejection, and starvation, so that you may reach out your hand to comfort them and to turn their pain into joy. And may God bless you with enough foolishness to believe that you can make a difference in the world, so that you can do what others claim cannot be done. May God bless you with the weirdest blessing possible- his divine burden.
This short excerpt changed my life and gave me hope and encouragement to never give up on the little things and to move when God tells me to move, no matter how giant the task, assignment or obstacle I’m facing seems.
I have always been the kind of person trying to “save the world” and save people from themselves. Not in a way where I’m trying to be a savior- Jesus is the ONE and ONLY, but I strive to make a change, to make a difference, to stop one person from making a detrimental decision on their own, to bring a smile where someone didn’t think there could be one, to provoke laughter, to spark joy, gratitude and kindness, to give a way out, to not just inspire but to influence, to be a light in the darkness, to drive out loneliness and hopelessness, to be a helping hand when no one else would, to show love to those who were rejected, to provide and give my last to those who have none, to go the extra mile, to not be Christ but to be as Christ-like as I can be!
My dad used to always tell me that I shouldn’t carry the burdens of those around me because I’ll weigh myself down and stress myself out. Whenever I had a friend hurting, I was hurting. Whenever they had a dilemma, I wanted to help them with the solution. Sometimes I was more concerned with the situation of others than they were themselves. I’ve always been that way. And so many people used to tell me to stop, to look out for #1 (myself), to let them learn and do it on their own because at the end of the day people are always going to be more concerned with their own well-being than the well-being of others. But I disagree. Why not help, even if all I can do is bring a single smile during a storm? So what if my efforts go unnoticed, unappreciated or don’t bring about any real solution? At least I did SOMETHING; at least I TRIED; at least I invested in a life other than my own. I don’t do for others with the hope that they’ll return the favor later. I do what I do because that’s what makes ME happy. Groeschel’s words, “Do something.You can’t do everything, but you can do something.” brought comfort to my spirit; they revived the desire to reach out and touch lives- to make a difference in places where it seems impossible to bring a change. He blessed me with enough “foolishness” to believe that I can do what others say can’t be done.
I often get teased for being a very sensitive person and crying easily. Commercials, stories, songs, movies, pictures, pretty much anything can provoke tears out of me. However, I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s not just because I’m a big baby, but because the needs and sufferings of others is part of my burden and I will always empathize, always want to help, always want to DO SOMETHING.
When we see things in the world like starvation and poverty, the millions of women and children being trafficked across the world, war-torn countries and corruption in the governments, all the unwanted babies and children either being aborted or abandoned, the elderly getting taken advantage of and being abused, the increase in criminal activity and incarceration of our youth, amongst the many other injustices of our time, it is easy to feel overwhelmed; it’s easy to feel like there’s too many problems, they’re too big to stop or make a difference, but if we can see the individuals in the majorities it makes it a little more personal, a little more manageable. Every starfish matters. Do something.
“Let us not grow weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” -Galatians 6:9
Faith Conquers Fear 