The Starfish Story
A young girl was walking along a beach upon which thousands of starfish had been washed up during a terrible storm. When she came to each starfish, she would pick it up, and throw it back into the ocean. People watched her with amusement.
She had been doing this for some time when a man approached her and said, “Little girl, why are you doing this? Look at this beach! You can’t save all these starfish. You can’t begin to make a difference!”
The girl seemed crushed, suddenly deflated. But after a few moments, she bent down, picked up another starfish, and hurled it as far as she could into the ocean. Then she looked up at the man and replied,
“Well, I made a difference to that one!”
The old man looked at the girl inquisitively and thought about what she had done and said. Inspired, he joined the little girl in throwing starfish back into the sea. Soon others joined, and all the starfish were saved. - adapted from the Star Thrower by Loren C. Eiseley
God has been incredible to remind me of this story these past few weeks. Being a mom to 3 little ones, studying a foreign language, setting up house and taking care of responsibilities for our ministry here hasn't left a lot of time for much else. There are days when I'm standing on a street watching people go by and it's like I'm this little girl standing on the beach watching all these starfish washed ashore drying up and dying. It seems impossible to make a difference. I can become cynical and wonder how in the world God can use our family or YWAM or all the christian organizations to reach the millions of lost people here in Taiwan. It can feel overwhelming and impossible! BUT I am reminded that God can fit a camel through the eye of a needle! He created this world, He created starfish, He created this island and the people living here! He is asking me to be faithful in the small things. He places the starfish in my path and has equipped me with His love and the Good News! He is the WAY- and praise His Name I get to be His hands to those starfish that He places in front of me! The community at the end of this story is beautiful. The body of Christ coming together to be used for His glory and the salvation of the lost. I imagine Jesus on the beach placing the starfish in front of our feet giving us the opportunity to join Him in the joy of His salvation of the hopeless! All we have to do is move, He has equipped us, He will do the work-- How Great is Our God!
Rich had to go to Hong Kong recently and met up with a friend from our days working in China. His name is Tony. Rich met him playing basketball - starfish- and shared the gospel with him. Tony was an atheist but more than ready to receive Jesus because of the work that Jesus was already doing in his heart. Tony was discipled by our team there and then sent to a pastor training school close to Hong Kong. He began a house church from there. Tony told Rich of his sisters radical salvation and how many have come to know the Lord through her testimony. He also shared how his church was reaching out to factory workers who work long hours and are under-paid. This community of people have become hopeless and many have taken their own lives. Tony and his church are reaching out to these men and women with the gospel of hope! More of the body of Christ on the beach being joyfully obedient to what God has put in front of them.
I am humbled by the simple gospel message that God has given me to share with so many who are in desperate need of Him. It should be as simple as casting something helpless into a sea that brings life. He brings life. He is so good. It is written on our hearts. Jesus saves! Praise His Name that we get to be a part of His work!
Rich had to go to Hong Kong recently and met up with a friend from our days working in China. His name is Tony. Rich met him playing basketball - starfish- and shared the gospel with him. Tony was an atheist but more than ready to receive Jesus because of the work that Jesus was already doing in his heart. Tony was discipled by our team there and then sent to a pastor training school close to Hong Kong. He began a house church from there. Tony told Rich of his sisters radical salvation and how many have come to know the Lord through her testimony. He also shared how his church was reaching out to factory workers who work long hours and are under-paid. This community of people have become hopeless and many have taken their own lives. Tony and his church are reaching out to these men and women with the gospel of hope! More of the body of Christ on the beach being joyfully obedient to what God has put in front of them.
I am humbled by the simple gospel message that God has given me to share with so many who are in desperate need of Him. It should be as simple as casting something helpless into a sea that brings life. He brings life. He is so good. It is written on our hearts. Jesus saves! Praise His Name that we get to be a part of His work!
