Making a Difference to Someone

Every act of faith and kindness matters.

Last Christmas, I received a bracelet from the people I work with. It was engraved with the words, “it made a difference to that one.” It came with a starfish charm and was attached to a card with The Starfish Story.

I love that story. I remember vividly the first time I read it. It was part of a collection of stories found in the book, “Chicken Soup for the Soul.” It was over twenty years ago and a very dark season for me. My soul was in desperate need for some light and that story really resonated with me.

It’s about a little boy walking down the beach. The tide is going out and there were starfish stranded on the sand. He would pick one up and throw it out to sea and move on to the next one. A man asked him what he was doing and he told him that if he didn’t throw them back they would die. The man told him there must have been tens of thousands of them and that he wouldn’t be able to make a difference. The boy bent down and picked up one and threw it as far as he could and looked at the man and smiled and said, “I made a difference to that one.”

There’s nothing like the faith and enthusiasm of a child. It’s something that we are gifted with when we are young, but tend to lose as we grow up.

Jesus recognized and appreciated it. “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 18:3

What things do we not even bother to do or try because we don’t think we can make a difference? Things like the giving of our time or money to a cause that really touches our hearts, might not fix a problem, but will it a help a person? We might not be able to stop world hunger, but can we feed one child? Can we educate one mother? Can we offer to assist one elderly person in need? Can we give to a stranger in need?

Christianity teaches us that our faith is individual. Jesus cares about the person. So if we can help one person along the way either physically or spiritually or both, then we have followed Christ’s example.

We may never be able to completely grasp God’s economy. It’s just so different than our own, but we do know that all things are possible with Him and that every soul matters, so every person matters.

A treasured story reminded me. Perhaps you needed reminding too. Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂