The Starfish Story

The Starfish Story:
(Based on the story by Loren Eisley)

An elderly man woke up just before sunrise to go for a walk on the beach. As he walked along the ocean’s edge he saw a child picking up starfish and throwing them back into the ocean. When he asked the child what he was doing, the child replied with, “The tide has washed the starfish onto the beach and they cannot return to the sea by themselves. When the sun rises, they will die, unless I throw them back to the sea.” While the child explained his reasoning, the man carefully surveyed the beach realizing that there were more starfish on the beach than the child could possibly save before the sun comes up. The man told the child that he couldn’t make a difference. The child paused, let what the man had said soak in, and continued to pick up starfish and throw them back into the ocean. The child turned to the man and said, “I made a difference to that one.” The man left the beach, and thought about what the child had said. He then decided to spend the rest of his morning helping the child throw the starfish back into the ocean.

INSPIRED? I am. But who told this story first? Oh right, it was Jesus except he used sheep, coins, and sons.