When It’s Only a Human-sized Effort

You may have heard the story of the elderly man who was shuffling along a beach with an unusual amount of stranded starfish. In the distance, he noticed a young boy picking up starfish and pitching them back into the sea.

When the lad got within hearing distance, the old man called out, “What are you doing?”

Over the sound of the surf, the boy replied, “I’m throwing starfish back into the water.”

“But there are so many,” countered the old-timer. “You won’t make much of a difference.”

Whereupon the boy bent over, picked up another starfish, and flung it far out into the ocean. He turned to the old man and said, “I made a difference for that one.”

The Archbishop of Canterbury visited a refugee camp in the Congo during the Ebola crisis. He bemoaned to a friend and co-worker: “How do you cope with the weight of all this?”

His friend had a very simple answer:

“Do what you can. Leave the rest to God.”

This so speaks to me, especially concerning large things I’ve been praying for and lamenting over because I can do so little, and the problems are so big.

For you, it may be a matter centered around injustice—either something you’re experiencing, or something a loved one is enduring. It may be a family member who is estranged. It may be the homeless issue, a health matter, or the thought of people suffering around the world.

The key, I think, is realizing what is ours to do, no matter how small it may seem. And then doing that little thing with great love—whether it’s visiting someone who is lonely and can’t get out, encouraging others through our spoken or written words, delivering Meals on Wheels, offering to take a neighbor’s child with special needs so the mom can run errands or simply meet a friend for coffee.

In the book of Matthew, Jesus is talking about the end of time when the sheep, representing the people who have a right-standing with God, are separated from the goats, those who are not right with God.  

At that time, the Father will tell the sheep that when he was hungry, thirsty, needed clothing, was sick, or in prison, they fed him, they gave him something to drink, they clothed him, tended to his illness, and visited him.

The righteous people will then ask God—perhaps with puzzlement in their voices—When did we see you hungry, or thirsty, or lonely, or needing a helping hand? When did we take care of you?

“And the King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’” – Matthew 25:40

Even though what we do is a human-sized effort, when it’s done for God, he can take it from there and turn it into something large and lovely and life-changing.

I can’t rescue all the starfish stranded on the beach, but I can at least rescue one. I can’t feed all the hungry people in the world, but I can be part of the team that feeds some.

What if we do our human-sized effort, drenched in prayer and love, and let our heavenly Father do the rest in his God-sized capability? What would that look like?

I think it would look like us making a difference, one person at a time.