"We have different gifts, according to the grace given us." Romans 12:6a
There's an often-told story of a young boy who walked the local beach looking for starfish. Whenever he found one of the little sea creatures, he would carefully pry its legs from any rocks before tossing it back into the sea. Under his careful watch, hundreds of starfish were returned to the water.
One day an older man noticed the young boy carefully throwing starfish back into the sea. Intrigued, he couldn't help but ask the boy about his ritual.
"Why do you throw the starfish back into the sea?" the old man asked.
"Because the starfish will die if left in the hot sun on the shore," the boy explained.
"But there are millions of starfish, and multitudes of shores with countless beaches upon which you will never walk," the man contended. "On each of those beaches there are throngs of starfish you will never save. Why do you bother?"
The boy looked down at the sand and picked up a starfish resting nearby.
"Because today, this day, this one will live," the boy replied. And he threw the starfish back into the sea.
The man watched as the boy continued his practice. Then, he reached down himself, picked up a starfish, and threw it into the sea.
The story is a rich reminder that in a world of needs, one person can make a big difference. It's also a lesson in the importance of doing what you are uniquely created, gifted, and called to do. Like so many others, the boy noticed the starfish dying on the seashore, but unlike the others, he made a decision to do something about it. He used the abilities God had given him to make a difference.
Like the old man in the story, not everyone will always understand or get what you do, but regardless of the response, you are called to use the talents and gifts God has given you for His glory.
No comments:
Post a Comment