March 12, 2014

Making a Difference, One Life at a Time

“Once upon a time, there was a wise 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, as he was walking along the shore, he looked down the beach and saw a human figure moving like a dancer. He smiled to himself at the thought of someone who would dance to the day, and so, he walked faster to catch up.

As he got closer, he noticed that the figure was that of a young man, and that what he was doing was not dancing at all. The young man was reaching down to the shore, picking up small objects, and throwing them into the ocean.

He came closer still and called out "Good morning! May I ask what it is that you are doing?"

The young man paused, looked up, and replied "Throwing starfish into the ocean."

"I must ask, then, why are you throwing starfish into the ocean?" asked the somewhat startled wise man.

To this, the young man replied, "The sun is up and the tide is going out. If I don't throw them in, they'll die."

Upon hearing this, the wise man commented, "But, young man, do you not realize that there are miles and miles of beach and there are starfish all along every mile? You can't possibly make a difference!"

At this, the young man bent down, picked up yet another starfish, and threw it into the ocean. As it met the water, he said,
"It made a difference for that one.”
― Loren Eiseley

There are not many of us who can change the world:  Mother Theresa, Ghandi, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Nelson Mandela are the names that come to mind.  But, even they were limited in the effect they could have on the world. 

I think each of us is called to make the world a better place in whatever way we can.  We do this each day at work, school and home.  We do this by being friendly to all, helping a stranger, and by being patient with our children.  We teach Sunday School, lead a Girl Scout troop, travel with our church youth group, volunteer at the Mission in town, shovel our neighbors driveway, or cook dinner for a sick friend. We can also do this by traveling to another country to serve and walk alongside the people who live there.

My daughter, Jenna, has been talking about a mission trip to South America for about four years.  She wanted to go and “help people”.  Well, she is in the middle of an eight month trip to three countries in South America, and boy has she been helping people!  But along the way she has been helped a lot too!  Helped with lost money and missed busses, helped to see the positive in a bad situation, helped to learn about how a simple life can be so satisfying.  She sees the good in people and in each situation.  She has seen what you can learn from those you thought you were going to help.  And along the way she is learning to trust God in His plan for her life.

We don’t always know what God’s plan is, or how the story of our lives will be written, but I firmly believe things happen for a reason, and there is a reason each of the 18 people in our group is traveling to Ecuador.  We will each learn from each other, from our experiences, and from the people we meet in Quito.  Each of us is following God’s call to go and meet His people in Ecuador, and we will be changed in the process. 

If I can change the world for one person, for one day, even for one hour then I have done what I set out to do.   I hope, just like the man who threw the starfish back into the ocean, to make a difference one life at a time. 

Ann Shallman