Makes a difference to this one.

I was at the front of the church, and the guy I had prayed for was just walking away.  Having a second to just sit and ponder, I was still talking to God and was looking at my heart at the same time.  In almost a confession, I said something like, “You know God, all we really want is for the stuff we do to make a difference.”  Unexpectedly, I heard the Spirit say in me, as I looked at several others knelt down praying at the altar, one sobbing, “Made a difference to them.”  That made ME cry.  You see, it reminded me of one of those kind of cheesy stories that ends up in a chicken soup book, about a little boy walking on the beach – well, here’s one version of the story that’s not too long:

As the old man walked down a Spanish beach at dawn, he saw ahead of him what he thought to be a dancer. The young man was running across the sand, rhythmically bending down to pick up a stranded starfish and throw it far into the sea.

The old man gazed in wonder as the young soul again and again threw the small starfish from the sand into the water. The old man approached him and asked why he spent so much energy doing what seemed a waste of time. The young man explained that the stranded starfish would die if left until the morning sun.

“But there are thousands of miles of beach, and miles and miles of starfish. How can your effort make any difference?”

The young man looked down at the small starfish in his hand, and as he threw it to safety in the sea, said, “It makes a difference to this one!”

Sooooo, I told that story to an artist in our church, who immediately got this image, I guess, and started sketching it out, and a couple of weeks later, he brought me this outstanding painting.

Thank you Dallas Gose, for the painting.  I find it very touching and meaningful.

Go make a difference.  You don’t have to change the world.  But you CAN make a difference to someone.

Explore posts in the same categories: Service

Tags: Art, Sacrifice, Seastar, Starfish

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