One day, an elderly gentleman was taking his morning walk on the beach when he noticed a young girl running along the shore. She was urgently reaching down and picking up something – and very gently throwing it into the ocean. After a few minutes, the elderly man got close enough to the little girl to ask her a question. He asked her what she was doing. She paused for a second, and then assertively replied that she was saving the starfish, of course! She explained that the sun is up, and the tide is going out, and if she doesn’t throw them into the water quickly, they’ll surely die. The old man listened to her answer and gazed down the shore line. He replied, don’t you realize there are miles and miles of beach, and thousands of starfish all along it? You can’t possibly make a difference – the man said. Without hesitation, the little girl bent down and tossed another starfish back into the ocean. “I made a difference for that one”, she concluded.
I often think about what excellence looks like on a daily basis. What does it look like when we are walking in the fullness of what God has for us?
Jesus is the epitome of excellence. His earthly ministry defined “difference-making”. We have record of several instances when Jesus stopped for the one – to make a difference. Without question, He is the most impactful leader to walk the face of the earth. I am convinced that we might be able to learn a thing or two from the way He interacted with people.
One person at a time, let’s commit to making a difference today!
-CK