My little starfish

One day a man was walking along the beach when he noticed
a boy picking something up and gently throwing it into the ocean.
Approaching the boy, he asked, “What are you doing?”
The youth replied, “Throwing starfish back into the ocean.
The surf is up and the tide is going out. If I don’t throw them back, they’ll die.”
“Son,” the man said, “don’t you realize there are miles and miles of beach and hundreds of starfish?
You can’t make a difference!”
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.”

And such is life....we have to live life for "that one." I'm constantly reminded of this story. At work, when I'm overwhelmed with so many clients, the weight of their situations, and advocacy, my boss reminds me "one starfish at a time." [side note: I love that about her] As I read "The Hole in Our Gospel," Rich Stearns (President of World Vision) relates tackling the world's poverty to that story. We can't do everything..but we can do something, and in that way, we become less overwhelmed and more mobilized.



When Rich Stearns visited NewSong, we had a push to sponsor 1000 kids in a community in Malawi. We actually exceeded that goal! I had wrestled with child sponsorship because I give generously already to organizations and people in need. I just couldn't shake the still voice urging me to go look at the table of children to sponsor. I became excited as I sat through the service, anxiously waiting, imagining, planning, visualizing....Who would I choose? What all would I be able to send to her? When would I send her the first package? Should I close my eyes and pick one? Then it came to me...I could help instill this in the next generation by including my niece, Brady, in the sponsorship.



Brady is 10 and loves to read, learn about new cultures and places, and do art. Brady is and has always been such a fantastic girl. One day, she will change the world, I know it. I think she would love to help me out. I went back to the World Vision sponsorship table and searched through hundreds of faces looking for a girl born the same month/year as Brady (January 2000). I never found January but after finding several boys born in 2000, I finally found her! She was born in September 2000. Her name is Lozalia and she is my starfish!



When my sponsorship package came in the mail this week with more detailed information than I had gotten on the day of sponsorship, I was so excited to comb through all of the information. I immediately ran out and began stocking up on things to send her in a package. When I realized how excited I was over my "new friend," I began to wonder (and still do)....What must it be like the moment you find out that you have been sponsored? I hope that one day I'll be able to ask her in person.



Today, I will mail my first package to Lozalia.