Remember the Starfish

I am sure you are aware of the old tale of the guy who encounters many thousands of starfish washed up on the beach and finds a child picking them up one-by-one and tossing them back into the sea. The guy essentially tells the child that his efforts didn't make a difference, as he couldn't possibly save them all. As the child picks up another starfish and tosses it back into the sea, he says, "I made a difference to that one."

Sure, it's a little cheesy, but it is truth: every little act of goodness does make a difference, even if it is only to one person. I have had a great delusion going on for quite a while in that I really thought I could save the world. I really saw with clarity through God that we need to care for and deeply love one another and cherish and protect this wonderful planet. I actually thought a utopia was possible, if people truly opened their hearts to God, and to one another.

Unfortunately, God has reminded me, that as long as there is free will, there will be plenty of people who choose selfishness--or even evil--over the good of others. As long as people have free will, some will always try to ruin the good, wholesome, and beautiful. This is an extremely tough pill to swallow, but it has finally been ingested.

So what to do now, considering a perfect planet is literally unattainable? Give up? Nope. While my efforts may not change the world as a whole, or even influence society in the least, every good and positive thing I do (which can be as simple as a smile and a pleasant greeting), every positive and God-centered message I put out may influence someone for the better. And that hope, as dim as it feels sometimes, is worth the tedious task of tossing starfish back into the sea. One by one.