Throwing Starfish....

 

 

 

"It is the importance and power of the 'one' - one person helping just one person for one day..."

A wise author named Loren Eiseley tells a story about an old man walking on a beach. On this beach were thousands upon thousands of starfish, stranded as the tide had gone out. Down the beach a short distance, the old man saw a young boy picking up star fish after star fish, and then throwing them back into the ocean. Perplexed on why the young boy was doing this, the old man walked up to him and said, "What are you doing? This beach stretches for miles and miles and there are thousands of star fish on it. You can't possibly make a difference by doing this." The young boy looked up at him as he held a starfish in his hand and said, "It will make a difference to this one."

This beautiful story once again teaches us the power and importance of the "one". The Bible also talks about the importance of the "one" in the parable of the lost sheep. The power of "one". One person helping, one person being helped. Some people help the needy in massive ways. That is a very good thing. Many people helping many people.

And yet, many acts of kindness, many gifts of the heart, go unnoticed as they are under the radar. They are very small. They are one person making a difference for one person for one day. And yet these acts are just as important.

My wife and I have been thinking quite a bit about the upcoming year. We are in our annual December "planning" mode. We think about many things - scheduled home repairs, possible getaways, and yes - our giving and helping others. Every year we try to "step up our game" in helping others. We learn about different opportunities, more areas of need. Besides writing out checks this year for things that touch our heart, we are going to attempt more (as we have nicknamed it) "gritty ministry".

What is "gritty ministry". Quite simply, it is the ministry that Jesus practiced. His mission field was not with the Pharisees discussing the Old Testament issues. Jesus went into the crowds, often times exposed to ones with the greatest needs. Sometimes exposed to the worst sinners. This was his mission field. These are the people that also mattered.

Recently, a friend posted on Facebook a short video which tells the story about "The Sandwich Man". A retired Minneapolis schoolteacher who taught in the inner city, he saw great needs which exist there. His mission field is to help the ones who need it most in Minneapolis. Not just to write out a check, this man leads a group of committed young people in making sandwiches every day, finding donated clothing, and then late at night goes out in the city after the shelters are closed. He finds the hungry, the ones who need clothing, offers them a sandwich and a clothing item.

Very few, us included, can be a tireless servant like "The Sandwich Man". But my wife and I are committed next year to make a different kind of impact. One person for one day, each and every day. It can be a very subtle difference, a modest difference, or a maybe at times a huge difference. It is not much. In the scheme of things, it is actually very, very little. It is however, our way in throwing starfish back into the ocean....