One morning, just as the sun was beginning to rise, a little girl raced down the road. She crested the hill and, only then, began to slow down. The view of the beach was breathtaking. The sun glimmering off the calm waves of the ocean. The sound of the waves brought peace over the girl. She paused for a moment just to take it all in.
But that was all she allowed herself, a moment. She had a task to do, and she knew it would not be an easy one. There was a storm last night. It was a big one that kept her up with how loud it was, but she stayed brave and prayed. She knew God was protecting her. She also knew that, because of the storm, other things might happen.
Marching down the hill, she saw she was correct. Across the beach lay a sea of red and orange. This was more than she had expected! The immense weight of how many washed up on the shore hit her. How would she ever finish? The answer, she may not. For some it could be too late. But that did not matter, she would do what she could for them.
She picked up a starfish and threw it back in the waves. One down, probably more than one hundred to go. Gently grabbing another one, she threw that back into the ocean. Then another, and another. The girl continued in this task for over an hour.
People began to come to the beach. Some were jogging, others were walking. They glanced at her as she continued in her task: bend, pick up, throw, bend, pick up, throw. None of them asked what she was doing, they just looked at her for a second then went about their business.
One couple walked down the beach. The man glanced at the girl then continued talking. The woman noticed the girl and pursed her lips. What could the girl be doing? Where were her parents? The woman let go of her partner's hand and walked up to the girl, "hello, what are you doing?"
The girl paused for a moment, "I'm throwing the starfish back." Then she picked up another one and threw it back. The woman looked down the beach and saw that many more starfishes were laying there. She also noticed the sun was getting higher. "I can see that's what you are doing, but why?" The girl didn't stop this time, "these starfish washed out of the sea probably from the storm last night. I am throwing them back, so they don't die."
The woman looked at the girl in disbelief, "why would you do that? There are so many of them." "I know that" the girl replied. The woman wouldn't let the matter drop, "you won't be able to save them all. Why don't you just stop and go play? Look at how many are left; you won't be able to pick up enough to make a difference." The girl paused, smirked, picked up a starfish and threw it back into the ocean. Then she stared pointedly at the woman, "it made a difference to that one."
I know it's strange to have this post be a Thanksgiving blog but think about the world today. Sometimes it feels like you try and try to do your best in the world, but it doesn't seem like you are making a difference. There is still world hunger. There is still war. And the world is still broken. But there is something important to remember: you don't have to do big things to make a difference.
Sometimes I think we think we need to become famous or have a huge talent to make changes in the world when that isn't the case. I have found it is the little things that make a big difference. While you may not be able to solve world hunger, you can feed the hungry in your neighborhood. While you may not be able to stop war, you can love those you see each day. And, while it may not seem like a big deal to you to do one little thing for someone, it just may be the biggest deal in the world to them. In fact, it could save their life.
This Thanksgiving I encourage you to think back on the people who have made an impact on your life. Maybe it's someone who has been in your life forever. Or it could be someone who you don't even know their name. Think of the people who have done little things in your life that have made a lasting impact on your life and be grateful for that.
An article about how starfish may get washed up on shore:
