A Different Drum
In this great big
world of ours, it can often take a whole lot of little things to make a
difference. While we know that
mountains are moved one scoop at a time, it’s easy to begin to doubt whether
our actions really matter in the scope of things. Those acts of kindness, those cheerful
smiles, those common doses of courtesy, those swallowed amounts of patience,
and those never-say-die words of affirmation…all add up to change.
That means change for
you as you are conformed into Christ’s image, but also change for those around you
who are in need of hope, an encouraging word, and a reason to press ahead. The truth is, you’ll never lack an audience
for words of affirmation. No matter
who we are, no matter what we’ve accomplished, no matter where we live, no
matter what we look like, we’re all in need of God’s genuine love. And while great accomplishments can occur
through computer technology, space travel, athletic endeavors, and political
feats, I believe nothing impresses God
more than a heart that is willing to love in the simplest ways.
Jeff Ostrander told it this way. “Along the coast of the
vast Atlantic Ocean there lived an old man.
Each day when the tide went out, he would make his way along the beach
for miles. Another man who lived not far
away would occasionally watch as he vanished into the distance and later,
noticed that he had returned. The
neighbor also noticed that, as he walked, the old man often stooped down to lift
something from the sand and then toss it away into the water.
One day, when the old man went down to the beach, this
neighbor followed him to satisfy his curiosity and, sure enough, as he watched,
the old man bent down and gently lifted something from the sand and threw it
into the ocean. By the time the old man made
his next stop, the neighbor had come near enough to see that he was picking up
a starfish which had been stranded by the retreating tide and would, of course,
die of dehydration before the tide returned.
As the old man turned to return it to the ocean, the neighbor called out
with a degree of mockery in his voice, “Hey, old timer! What are you doing? This beach goes on for hundreds of miles, and
thousands of starfish get washed up every day!
Surely you don’t think that throwing a few back is going to matter.”
The old man listened and paused for a moment, then held the
starfish in his hand out toward the neighbor. “It matters to this one!”
The beat of the
world’s drum persistently reminds us that life is short. In three words…live for yourself. The beat of God’s drum is to become more like
Christ and touch as many people as possible.
In three more words…live for Him.
Mother Teresa once said, “Love has a hem to her garment that reaches
the very dust. It sweeps the streets and
lanes, and because it can, it must.”
Every move Jesus made
stemmed from His desire to love the Father and love others, and we are
challenged to do the same. As you
find the Lord crossing your path with a person in need, find a way to reach
out. After all, it really does matter to
that one…and so many others.
Terry Risser
Reflections:
1) Think
of one person today that you frequently encounter that you could encourage
through a note, greeting, word, or gift.
2) Ask
the Lord to give you a greater sensitivity to His divine encounters today.
Consider reading the Word today:
Copyright 2014- Terry Risser
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