It is the pattern throughout Creation. One child, one man, can swing the balance of the universe. ~ Madeleine L’Engle, “A Wind in the Door”
Sometimes, early in the morning, when I’m just waking up, my first thoughts are, “Do I really matter? Do I have purpose—a reason for being here?”
Then I think about my husband…when he walks in the door after a very long 10-12-hour day of working and he sees me and he smells the home cooked meal… and the sharp edges of his day and those lining his face begin to soften. And he gives me a big bear-hug embrace and we sit down to eat the comfort food and he gives thanks to God.
And I know that I have a purpose.
And I think of my mom…and our weekly errand trips. She is still as fiercely independent as she can be but the inevitable consequences of living a long life in an ever-aging body take hold no matter how hard we try to fight it off. { And she has done an excellent job of doing that. }
But when I see her in a store where we are doing our separate shopping and she suddenly looks around in a slight panic—like a little child might do when visually separated from their mother—-and as she stands frozen with only her eyes darting about trying to find the target of…me…and they hit their mark and I see her rigid body relax and a big smile burst on her face…I know…
I have a purpose.
When a friend calls on the phone and I answer with warmth and love and delight and am responded to in kind and we chat for a few stolen minutes of the day about everything and nothing with laughter and compassion and my friend’s parting words are, “Thanks. I needed to talk to you today” … I know…
I have a purpose.
When I write a check to the orphanage that takes in abandoned children who before their “adoption” found their food at the city dump-—when I pool my small contribution along with others—like a tiny rivulet that makes its way to a big ocean–and all those rivulets make a BIG difference… I know…
I have a purpose.
When I feed the cast-off cat in the woods and I look into those fear-filled eyes and I whisper to him: “Someone knows your plight. Someone cares. I care. You’ll never go hungry again.” It is then that I know that…
Yes. I have a purpose.
My life matters. The seemingly small contributions that I make in the well-being of those entrusted into my care—the needs that pass my way or are a daily part of my life—those ordinary contributions I make matter a great deal to each one.
Your life is filled with much of the same kinds of scenarios and you matter, too.
One of my all-time favorite little stories is this one:
Once, a man was walking along a beach. The sun was shining and it was a beautiful day. Off in the distance he could see a young boy going back and forth between the surf’s edge and the beach. Back and forth this young boy went. As the man got closer, he could see that there were hundreds of starfish stranded on the sand as a result of the natural action of the tide.
The young boy was picking up starfish one by one and throwing them into the surf. The man was struck by the apparent futility of the task. There were far too many starfish. Many of them were sure to perish.
He went up to the young boy he said, “You must be crazy. There are hundreds of miles of beach covered with starfish. You can’t possibly make a difference.”
The young boy looked at the man. He then stooped down and picked up one more starfish and threw it back into the ocean. He turned back to the man and said, ” It sure made a difference to that one! “
Yes.
“Every word we speak, every action we take, has an effect on the totality of humanity. No one can escape that privilege or that responsibility. Help even one person or animal and your life can be considered a success. No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted. ” (author unknown)
There are a couple of stories that grab my heart in regard to this subject of how one person can make a difference.
The first story may appear to be a very small act of kindness. But you will see what an impact it made. It was one of the most special stories I’ve ever heard. It’s about Johnny, the grocery store bagger.
The next “little over a minute” video is about a man who made a very big difference during the Holocaust. You will be moved. I think you’ll cry. And you will see “the power and impact of one.”
Nicholas Winton rescued 669 children. In 2014 there were an estimated 6000 people in the world today who owe their lives to him. They are the descendants of the children rescued by him from the Nazis in 1939.
Make a difference. Even if it is in the life of only one.
You are needed. In this crazy mixed-up world full of confusion, sorrow and pain…you are needed.
To your family and friends…you are needed.
You do have a purpose.
You were made on purpose for a purpose.
You are living it out every single day in every life your life touches.
You matter.
If I can stop one heart from breaking,
I shall not live in vain;
If I can ease one life the aching,
Or cool one pain,
Or help one fainting robin
Unto his nest again,
I shall not live in vain.
~ Emily Dickinson