Loren Eiseley’s work, The Star Thrower tells the story of an older man who was walking on the seashore early one morning. In the distance he noticed what seemed to be a young man dancing with abandon as he glided first toward the ocean and then back to the beach as the tide was ebbing.
Amused at the thought that someone would choose to greet the day that way, he decided to move closer. Finally, he could see it was a young man who was picking up starfish left on the beach by the receding water and then running toward deeper water to cast them beyond the breakers.
As he approached the young man, the old man called out to him asking why he was doing that. The younger replied, “The tide is going out, and if I don't throw these starfish into the deeper water they will die in the hot sun." After thinking about it for a few moments the older man chided the younger, noting that there were thousands of starfish out there and hundreds of miles of beach; “You couldn’t possibly make a difference. You’re wasting your time!”
Undaunted, the young man bent down, lifted a starfish and tossed it into the surf. Looking back at the older man while pointing toward what he had done, he smiled broadly, “Made a difference for that one!"
More times than we may imagine we could be the one person on this planet to make all the difference for someone else. It’s true! We could be someone’s star dancer. What a joy to know we helped someone who needed us and they could not repay. So, always be prepared to act. Remember the Master's words, "It is more blessed to give than to receive."
One of the miracles of giving of ourselves is this: even though we would never do it to be rewarded, or expect something in return, when we freely give of ourselves to someone else who needs what we have to give, we often discover that, at a time we didn’t expect, when we need something we never imagined we would, the thing we need most will appear. I’ve seen it happen with my own eyes.
And THAT, dear friends, is something to dance about.
©️Copyright 2018, 2019, revised 2021, MyPericope.com
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