Do you ever read the newspaper or watch the news and feel very overwhelmed at the world we live in? I sure do! So many problems; poverty, crime, injustice, war, etc. Sometimes I don't even want to know what's going on because I feel so helpless to change any of it. I read a story once that helped me put into perspective the understanding that I am not responsible to "fix" everything, but I can make a difference in someone's life.
It goes like this:
While walking along a beach, an elderly gentleman saw someone in the distance leaning down, picking something up and throwing it into the ocean.
As he got closer, he noticed that the figure was that of a young man, picking up starfish one by one and tossing each one gently back into the water.
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.”
The old man smiled, and said, “I must ask, then, why are you throwing starfish into the ocean?”
”Upon hearing this, the elderly observer 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!”
The young man listened politely. He then bent down again, picked up another starfish, threw it back into the ocean and said, “It made a difference for that one.”
We all can make a difference to someone!
Cathy
