The Difference Maker...

There was a successful business man who retired to a secluded beach.  Each morning he would arise early and go to his precious beach for his morning three mile walk.  Standing on the beach he would look to the north and then to the south trying to decide which way to walk.  One particular morning, he started north. 

Going only a short distance he thought he saw someone on the beach.  It was rare that he even saw a fisherman this early in the morning.  Intrigued as to who this might be his paced quickened.  Getting closer he noticed that the person appeared to be throwing something into the ocean.  His attention had been on this mysterious person before him and he had neglected to watch where he had been walking.  Looking down he saw that starfish where being deposited on the beach by the waves.  Since the tide was receding many starfish had been left stranded on the beach and would most likely die before the tide rose over them later in the day.  

He continued to marvel at the number of starfish on the beach.  They were everywhere.  There were thousands of them.  As he continued his morning walk along the shore, the number of starfish grew.  Without realizing it, he was almost upon the man who he had seen earlier.  He stared in amazement as this young man picked up a starfish and threw it back into the sea.  

Approaching him, he asked, “what are you doing?” 

To which he simply replied, “throwing starfish into the sea.” 

The man chuckled and said “do you see how many starfish there are?  There are thousands.  No, tens of thousands of these stranded starfish.  You can’t possibly think you are making a difference.”

The young man smiled warmly at the man as he bent down to pick up a starfish.  He brought his arm back and as he flung the starfish back into the sea he said, “it made a difference to that one!”

Such a simple story on perspective.  The older man saw no hope and no point.  The younger man only saw redemption of life.  It reminds me that I was once a starfish.  My Heavenly Father sent His Son to me to ask me if I would like to be put into the sea of heaven and be redeemed.  The Son said that He had already paid the price of admission, I just simply needed to accept Him and then acknowledge Him to others.  And then Jesus asked if I wanted to help Him redeem others.  He said the workers are few but the harvest is great.  Come and join Him and be enriched beyond measure.

Bill Gonseaux May, 17, 2014

Author’s note: The original story concept is from Loren Eiseley (1907-1977)