Some days are really tough to get out of bed. There are many possible reasons, but often our motivation feels completely gone. As a well-known politician once asked, “What difference does it make?” One reason might be that we feel overwhelmed by the size of what we face today. 

A businessman and his wife took a needed getaway at an oceanside hotel. During their stay, a storm arose, causing massive breakers. The storm woke the man, who lay listening and reflected on his demands and pressures.

Before dawn, the wind calmed down. The man got out of bed and stepped outside to examine the storm's aftermath. As he strolled along the beach, he saw the starfish scattered on the sand, carried ashore by the powerful waves. Since they couldn't reach the water, the starfish were doomed to die as the sun’s rays dried them up.

Down the beach, the man spotted a figure strolling along the shoreline. The person would bend down and gather something, but in the faint light of dawn, he couldn’t distinguish what it was. As he got closer, he saw that a young boy was collecting starfish one by one and tossing them back into the sea to save them.

As the man approached the young boy, he asked, “Why are you doing that? One person can’t really make a difference—there are too many starfish to save before sunrise.” The boy, looking sad, replied, “That’s true,” and bent down to pick up another starfish. Then he said, “But I can still make a difference for this one.”

I understand that life appears to be challenging; indeed, it is. In the context of the church, which upholds and teaches the truth of God’s Word without deviation, these challenges can become even more pronounced. However, the pertinent question is: how does the church persevere? God never intended for any single individual to resolve all of life’s issues—except for Jesus. Instead, God's intention for each of us is to utilize the resources and gifts He has bestowed upon us to make a meaningful impact in our respective environments, our spheres of influence!

Here’s to using our gifts for Jesus,

Gene