Small actions CAN make a difference!
Posted by Glenn Fadner on 9/17/2010
A friend of mine works at Operation Mobilization's headquarters in Florida. This week he sent me an email that puts some perspective on the Pakistan flooding. He writes: "As you may have heard, the flooding in Pakistan has now displaced over 20 million people. This is like 20 hurricane Katrinas! (emphasis mine)!"
In the face of a disaster of such magnitude, it's easy to ask "what can one person do?" I was rather surprised to see later in his email that OM figures that they can feed a family of 6 for two weeks for just $35. That's a gift that almost anyone could make - especially if they decided to "fast" (give up) something else to free up the money.
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A "simple" meal for two at a fast-food place runs about $15 these days. Skip two and you're most of the way there.
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A dinner out at a nice restaurant is WELL over $35.
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A large coffee at Starbucks is about $2. If you drink anything OTHER than plain coffee, you spend well over that.
Yes, it's true that one family of six is a small drop compared to 20 MILLION. You might think it doesn't make much of a difference. But your sacrifice (if you can call giving up a restaurant meal a "sacrifice") CAN make a difference for THAT family.
My friend's email closed with a quote from Samwise Gamgee that gives a bit of perspective: "It's the job that's never started that takes the longest to finish."
Let's ALL make a difference.
