"Don't judge each day by the harvest you reap, but by the seeds you plant."
-Robert Louis Stephenson
Think back…... or think in the now. Has anyone ever invested in your life? Invested themselves in helping you make the most of your life? Given you an opportunity you normally wouldn't have had if they hadn't been there? Showed compassion or empathy at the perfect time... just when you needed it?
Maybe you were a child in elementary school and an adult paid a little closer attention to you or praised you more than you received at home. Maybe you were a teenager headed down the wrong road but someone swooped in and redirected your path. Maybe you were in your 20s or 30s and your career wasn't going where you had hoped and someone came to your rescue because they knew of an opportunity that would be a perfect fit for you.
Investing in someone's life can change the whole direction of their journey.
Our challenge for you this week - Be that person for someone.
Send someone a letter or a text message or have a conversation. Pick up the phone and let someone know you care. Ask if there is anything you can do to help. Begin a friendship or renew that relationship with someone.
Think of that person who did it for you. Thank them.
Today's Starfish
As you may recall, Devon and I began the commitment of being a sponsor to a 5-year-old boy from Bangladesh on the Fourth of July this year.
We want to be those people for Sonaton. We hope to make a difference in his life, not only with the few dollars we send but also with our inspiring words and prayers and hopes for his life.
We received our first letter from him recently. He told us about his family and that he wants to be a Doctor when he grows up. He would love to visit a zoo and asked that we pray for his studies as he is starting school soon.
For today's starfish, Devon and I are responding to his letter so that he knows a little more about us and that we are praying for him and thinking of him.
This is just the beginning of our investment in a child who lives very differently than us.
"After listening politely, the boy bent down, picked up another starfish and threw it back into the surf. Then, smiling at the man, he said, 'I made a difference for that one.'"
-excerpt from The Starfish Story
As many of you know, I work part-time at my church as a children's ministry facilitator for 3, 4 and 5 year olds. (Never a dull moment!) This weekend after the Saturday night 5:00 service that I worked, I decided to go to the 6:30 service titled "Lost People Matter."
As I was sitting in the worship center drinking my coffee, listening intently about helping lost people - inviting them to go somewhere with you, providing a kind smile or a warm conversation, letting someone know you care - lo and behold! the pastor started to tell The Starfish Story!
I felt like I was truly right where I was supposed to be at that exact moment. It made me start thinking about my blog and totally reinforced the idea behind Starfish Mondays. You truly can make a difference in someone's life - it doesn't matter how big or how small the kind deed is; it is the act of being kind alone that can restore someone's faith in humanity. Maybe this blog will touch just one person today - but that one person is worth it.
Today's Starfish
Today's Starfish was simple - I told Devon about my experience at church and we decided that today, we were going to go the extra mile to smile at everyone we came into contact with and just be extra nice - to people at the grocery store, the gym, the coffee shop, work. Act like everyone we interact with is a like a Starfish we are sending back into the ocean - making a small difference in their lives. Plus, the act of smiling and being kind make people happier :)
Our challenge to you: Dedicate a day to "throwing starfish back in the water." Say a kind word to as many people as possible; smile extra big at someone you meet in the hallway. You have no idea what that kind gesture or smile can do to make a difference in that person's life!
"Over the past year, I've come to love butterflies and rainbows. After all, without change, there'd be no butterflies. And without a storm, there'd be no rainbows. I especially like this rainbow I saw this morning while running. I had to stop, get my phone untangled, and take a picture. It was just a ray, I couldn't see any other part of it. Just this ray. So whatever your 'storm' is - if some days seem too dark, too hard… My prayer for you is that you'll always be able to find a ray of hope, even if it is small. Happy Monday, friends."
-Amy, my long-time friend and neighbor.
This was Amy's Facebook post this morning, and personally, it helped me get ready to face the day. I had a rough morning and seeing her post while lying in bed gave me the strength to find my ray of hope and get ready to face the day. Monday mornings can be so hard sometimes. But that was a perfect reminder for me (and you) to find that ray of hope.
We've all been there. We think things can't possibly get any worse than they are… but then they do. The streak of bad-luck seems never-ending. If it's not one thing, it's another. When it rains, it pours.
But we know there is light at the end of the tunnel. We know there is a ray of hope waiting for us. We know, because we've been here before. We've been here before, and we've survived. We will survive this time and we will survive next time and we will survive the time after that. Because that is what we do. You are resilient. You are strong. You are brave.
Today's Starfish
Everyone goes through hard times. No one is immune to rough days. Everyone you meet is fighting a battle you may know nothing about. A friend of Devon and mine has gone through her share of trials and tribulations recently. The wedding dress she picked out turned out to not lay right (even after she sent it back to get fixed) so she has to pick out a new one. Did I mention her wedding is in three months?! Oh, and her honeymoon got cancelled. So they have to plan a new one! And on top of all this plus the normal stresses of having a wedding, she is having some health issues. Did I mention her wedding is in three months?!
We wanted to let her know we were thinking about her, so we collected some inspiring and uplifting quotes and thoughts, got some of her favorite candies and a few other things to make her smile and put together a little care package to lift her spirits.
Our challenge to you - Be aware. Be aware of the people around you and be sensitive to situations you may know nothing about. A warm smile or quick hello may be just what they need to make it through the day. Be someone's ray of hope.
We hope you enjoyed last Friday's special Starfish! Devon and I are so excited for this new journey together and for Sonaton to be a part of our lives. We know it is a big commitment, but giving up a small luxury we take for granted (like a weekly Starbucks or a few glasses of wine) can make a big difference for this child.
I think that if I've learned anything about friendship, it's to hang in, stay connected, fight for them and let them fight for you. Don't walk away, don't be distracted, don't be too busy or too tired, don't take them for granted. Friends are part of the glue that hold life and faith together. Powerful stuff.
~Jon Katz
It can't be said enough.. friends-true friends-will be there for you… unconditionally. A friendship is relationship - you put in what you get out of it. Sometimes we tend to lose sight of this. We get wrapped up in our lives, in our jobs, in our family and in our routines. We play phone tag, we set up plans to talk and they fall through, we text all day but don't actually hear a live voice. We are losing contact without really losing contact. Sad!
Today's Starfish
Devon and I decided that enough is enough! We said that tonight we would make the time to call an old friend, someone we haven't spoken to in some time. I got to speak to two of my good friends who I usually play a ridiculous amount of phone tag with and Devon also spoke with one of her good friends she doesn't get to talk to very often. Success!
Our challenge to you - give your thumbs a break! Dial up that friend that you don't talk to enough. C'mon, everyone has one!
O beautiful for spacious skies
Stand beside her and guide her
Stuck a feather in his hat
Land that I love
For amber waves of grain
Sweet land of liberty
Every heart beats true for the red, white and blue
Oh say can you see
Of thee I sing
When the saints go marching in
From sea to shining sea.
The Fourth of July is a time to be grateful. Grateful for this amazing country we live in, the freedoms we have, the men and women who served and are serving our country, the freedom to make choices, freedom to vote. The list goes on and on.
Have you been paying attention to the national news lately? Riots in the street, murder due to religious beliefs, reckless killings of teenagers, severe raping and beatings of women. And the list goes on and on.
We are lucky. And if you're like me, it's something you might take for granted.
This Fourth of July, be thankful. Thankful for the drink in your cup, the food in your belly, the parade passing by. When you look at the flag, understand what it means. When you hear a patriotic song, put your hand over your heart. And when you see a veteran or a serviceman or woman, thank them for honoring your country.
Today's Starfish
Devon and I made the decision to commit to sponsor a child in a third world country, who does not experience the same way of life we do. Through Compassion International (www.compassion.com), we are able to help provide food, clean water, medical care, educational opportunities, life skills and most importantly the opportunity to learn about Jesus and be encouraged to develop a relationship with God.
Please meet Sonaton, a 4 year old boy from Bangladesh. He shares my birthday (Oct. 2) and was born the same year Devon and I graduated from Drake, 2009.
We are so excited to go on this journey together as best friends and will sponsor Sonaton until he is 18 years old.
Sometimes we need to take a step back and be grateful for all that we do have, and think about ways we can help those who do not.
Happy 4th of July!
