As a man walked down to the beach, he noticed the beach was covered with starfish that had washed ashore, thousands of them up and down the beach. There on the beach was a woman picking up one starfish at a time and flinging it back into the sea. The man went up to her and said, "What are you doing? There’s thousands of starfish here. You can’t begin to make a dent in them. Your little effort isn’t going to matter at all." The woman picking up yet another starfish and flinging it into the sea said, "It matters to this one."One cannot help everyone, however one can help one person at a time. Jesus didn’t heal everyone at once but only healed one at a time. Someone once asked Mother Teresa what she does when she is overwhelmed with the vast needs of the poor in Calcutta. She said she goes out and finds one person that needs the love of God and pours her life into that one person.
Sheep are interesting animals. The bible speaks of them metaphorically to relate to human beings. What are sheep? A female sheep is an ewe and a male sheep is a ram. Just like human babies, when lambs are born, they need some special attention to make sure they live happy and healthy lives. When a lamb is born, it is attached to its mother by an umbilical cord. The shepherd cuts the cord close to the lamb's belly, then dips the part still attached to the lamb in iodine so it will not become infected. Eventually, the cord will dry up and drop off.
Sometimes when a lamb is born, the mother dies, or sometimes she is unable or unwilling to take care of her baby. The shepherd tries to find another ewe that has just had a baby of her own to "adopt" the lamb and accept it as her own. Or, sometimes shepherds keep goats to serve as "nannies" to the lambs. If the shepherd can't find another ewe or goat to care for the lamb, then the lamb must be hand fed with a bottle.
A research scientist after many tests using photographs has determined that not only can sheep recognize up to fifty faces but they can also determine the gender by sight alone. However, sheep can recognize the shepherd by sight and by the shepherd's voice.
John 10:3 The watchman opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. 5 But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger's voice."
A shepherd might be able to tend to the entire flock, but when it comes to special needs it can only do one lamb or sheep at a time. However, sheep have a unique relationship with the shepherd. The shepherd knows their sheep and the sheep know their shepherd.
Psalms 23:1 The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, 3 he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. 4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. 5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.6 Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.
Jesus is our shepherd. Jesus makes a difference. He can make a difference in a person’s life. He is that tender loving shepherd that can tend to your wounds if you let him. Jesus didn't heal multitudes all at once but he healed people one at a time. Notice the majority of miracles He performed and one will noticed He touched them not only on an emotional level but also with a physical touch.
Each of us can make a difference in someone’s life. If one can lay aside the burdens of the past that kills the future of new relationships with others, then one can care for another person. One has too set aside prejudices, past feelings of failed relationships, assumptions hurt emotions and ill feelings towards another and then one can begin to help. The key is getting rid of self and getting rid of the emotional baggage before moving onto the next relationship. We’ve been taught all our lives to be independent, indispensable, and stubborn and supper efficient. An inner voice says, "Prove it to them! You can do it. You don't need anybody's help. You can do it all by yourself." One can never deal with a problem until one can recognize that the problem exists. Sometimes one can feel overwhelmed with issues that sometimes one doesn't know where to begin.
Like the woman at the beach took one starfish at a time and she started to make a difference at the beach. Like Mother Teresa took one person and made a difference in their life at Calcutta. One can make a difference in another person's life. It takes one step at a time and soon like a pebble thrown into the pond the ripple effects will soon spread out.
Sometimes sheep can be helpless and they need the guidance from the shepherd. Sheep also flock together to protect themselves and provide comfort to each other. When one begins to recognize there is a need to help others then one finally has rid their selfishness of self and thus has started producing spiritual growth within one‘s own life. When one moves from being a sheep into a shepherd then one begins to understand the responsibilities and cares of making a difference in someone's life.
From spiritual growth one is able to reach out to others and make a difference. One can go from being a sheep and turn into being a shepherd. Why not make a difference and become a shepherd and help make a difference in someone‘s life. One can complain how the world might be in their eyes, but why not change the world around them and making a difference in someone's life. Why not “pay it forward”? Allow Christ to be your Shepherd by leading you in green pastures of peace and in turn you can make a difference in someone’s life today. It is because of Him that he has already made a difference for “EWE”(you) by sacrificing His life so that you can live.
