We Can Make A Difference!
By: Kristen L. McNulty
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Today half of the worlds population live on less than two dollars per day.
According to UNICEF, 30,000 children die every day due to extreme poverty.
1.1 billion people in developing countries do not have adequet access to clean drinking water.
And according to UNHCR, there are more the 32 million refugees and displaced persons around the world today. The majority of these people live in tents in refugee camps. Because they are living in a country foreign to them, they cannot work to earn a living and survival is a constant struggle.
If you're anything like myself, you feel overwhelmed when hearing such statistics. That kind of poverty is so far removed from our lifestyles of health and wealth. But we can't ignore the suffering any longer.
We may question what kind of difference one person could make in light of such extreme need. But the truth is, one person literally has the power to change and impact thousands of lives.
Let's take Ryan for example. Ryan was in grade one when he learned from his teacher that people were dying because they didn't have clean water to drink. So Ryan decided to do something about it. He started doing chores to collect money for wells in Africa. His story caught the attention of the media and today Ryan has raised enough money to build 319 wells in 14 countries. 485,000 people now receive clean water thanks to Ryan's efforts. (For more information on Ryan, visit www.ryanswell.ca).
Mother Teresa was 18 years old when she left home to serve as a missionary. She started out an organization with 13 other nuns to care for the outcasts of soceity. Today that movement has grown to have 4000 nuns serving in 450 centers around the world. And Mother Teresa has inspired the lives of millions of people.
You see, one person can make a difference. And isn't that the story of the Gospels? Jesus' disciples were not considered to be the cream of the crop. Many of them were fishermen, who weren't considered to be high up in the social rank. But they didn't let that stop them and look at the impact they had!
You and I can have that same kind of impact when we live out the Gospel. Isaiah 58:6-7 says:
“No, this is the kind of fasting I want:
Free those who are wrongly imprisoned;
lighten the burden of those who work for you.
Let the oppressed go free,
and remove the chains that bind people.
Share your food with the hungry,
and give shelter to the homeless.
Give clothes to those who need them,
and do not hide from relatives who need your help."
And if we look at the kind of life Jesus and His disciples lived, this is it. And this kind of living does make a radical difference.
So what about you? Are you tired of hearing statistic after statistic, feeling nothing but helpless? Then it's time for us to rise up and do something to make a difference. Get connected with an organization. Start a fundraising drive. Send money. Go on the missions field. Love those around you. We don't have to look very far to see people in need.
To close off, I'd like to read a poem titled "It's Up To You":
One song can spark a moment
One flower can wake the dream
One tree can start a forest
One bird can herald spring
One smile begins a friendship
One handclap lifts a soul
One star can guide a ship at sea
One word can frame the goal
One vote can change a nation
One sunbeam lights a room
One candle wipes out darkness
One laugh will conquer gloom
One step must start each journey
One word must start each prayer
One hope will raise our spirits
One touch can show you care
One voice can speak with wisdom
One heart can know what's true
One life can make a difference
You see: It's up to you.
This devotional was aired as a part of the Making A Difference Christian Radio Show.