Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Every Little Bit Counts

In light of recent events in Haiti I have found myself asking the question of how I can be involved in global change for the better.  But what can one person really do, right?  One of my daughter's favorite movies is the Bee Movie (animated) starring Jerry Seinfeld.  I can't tell how how many hundreds of times I've seen this flick, but one part of the movie always stands out to me.  When rallying his fellow bees to act in order to save flowers, Barry Benson (Seinfeld) reminds his fellows bees that even though they are small, every bee plays a significant part in the process of life by helping to create honey and making sure flowers bloom and grow by spreading pollen around.

Now this may seem like a stretch, but there is some key truth here.  I know that I often find myself thinking what can I really do to help in a place like Haiti or Mali or Tanzania?  When I view my actions as one individual acting alone, then I may see that what I do doesn't make a difference.  But, when I view my actions and response in light of the response of the global community or a faith community, then perhaps I can begin to see that every little bit counts.

Take micro-financing for example.  On sites such as Kiva, you can join hundreds and thousands of other people in loaning money to entrepreneurs in the third world who are attempting to be the change they wish to see in their communities by creating busy and investing in their local economy.  This is just one of many examples of how a bunch of people working together can make a difference.

When you look at nature, ants exhibit this very principle as well.  Ants can create and sustain immense colonies and move incredible amounts of earth and soil in the process by working together to create something new and exciting for the entire colony.

So rest assured that every little bit does count.  Even when you don't think you are making a difference, when you choose to be a part of positive change in our world, you are choosing to be a difference maker...even though you might feel tiny in the process!

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A Little Something from Psalm 8

 Had a lot of fun with this one.