Manzanita Beach Day

The fog has not lifted here so we dance and play on the sand and within the clouds. The fog is an invitation to slow down and reflect. We did some of that and we also played hard in Pacific City on the sand dunes.

This summer we talked about lot about, “what makes your heart sing?” The starfish inspired us to pray through our days and to take some snapshots of joyful moments along the way. I hope you have felt joy and peace as your heart sings out.

With the Starfish image and metaphor, I give thanks to Olamipo Adeniji for this reflection and resharing a well known story:

We are called to be difference makers:

“Do all the good you can. By all the means you can. In all the ways you can. In all the places you can. At all the times you can. To all the people you can. As long as you ever can.”

I would like to start by sharing an old story adapted from The Star Thrower, by Loren Eiseley

You may have heard this one, but I find that it doesn’t hurt to be reminded of it every once in a while. First, let me tell you the story, and then we can talk about it.

One day a man was walking along the beach when he noticed a boy picking something up and gently throwing it into the ocean. Approaching the boy, he asked, “What are you doing?” The boy replied, “Throwing starfish back into the ocean. The surf is up and the tide is going out. If I don’t throw them back, they’ll die.” “Son,” the man said, “don’t you realize there are miles and miles of beach and hundreds of starfish? You can’t make a difference!”After listening politely, the boy bent down, picked up another starfish, and threw it back into the surf. Then, smiling at the man, he said…” I made a difference for that one.”

For many of us the “starfish story” is the standard call to duty, knowing that each life you touch matters, even if it is only one.

We all have the opportunity to help create positive change, you sometimes find yourself thinking, “I’m already really busy, and how much of a difference can I really make?” I think this is especially true when we’re talking about addressing massive social problems like tackling world hunger or finding a cure for cancer, but it pops up all of the time in our everyday lives, as well. So when I catch myself thinking that way, it helps to remember this story. You might not be able to change the entire world, but at least you can change a small part of it, for someone.

If everything you did had to have a huge, immediate impact before you gave it a little of your time, then you’d end up doing very little with your life. And sometimes, the little things we do can add up and turn into big things — they make ripples that spread further than we can see.

Those starfish that the young boy saved may have gone on to produce thousands more.

So the next time you get chance to make a small difference, don’t think of the big picture and just do it — after all, it might not make a difference to you, but to somebody else, it might.

Go Make A difference!!!