Star Fish and Hearts

   There have been several short stories and quotes that have touched me in some way and that I wish I could remember better when I need their lessons. You have probably heard all of them before, or at least one of them. But maybe you, like me, need to be reminded occasionally.

Loren Eisely wrote a essay called The Star Thrower. Many people have told and wrote versions of his story since then. Instead of copying one from another source, I will give you my version.

    An old man was walking along the seashore just as the sun was rising. As he walked he noticed a young man ahead of him. The young man was stooping over repeatedly, and as the man drew nearer he could see him pick something up and throw it into the water. When he reached the young man he saw him pick up a stranded star fish and throw it out to sea. The man watched him throw a few more and then looked around. The shore was littered with star fish. Hundreds, thousands of them. 

  "Young man," he said. " You will never be able to pick up all these star fish before they die in the sunshine! It is a normal part of the cycle of life. You can never make a difference on this long beach."

  The young man bent over and picked up another star fish. He tossed it out into the water. Then he looked at the old man, "But I made a difference for that one." He picked up another one and threw it, " And that one!"

How many times do we look at the world around us and say, There are too many problems. I can't solve them all, so why even try. How many times do we spend hours praying for one person, loving them, teaching them, and we look around at all the other broken people and say is it even worth trying? We can never help them all! 

What if we would rewrite this story?

  Broken hearts lay scattered on the rocks of this world. Littering the ledge as far as I could see. As I walked, I noticed a young woman stooping to the ground, doing something. She turned and stooped again, doing something.

  As I drew nearer I saw her stoop and touch a broken heart. She touched it gently with much care. She held it to her ear and listened. She bowed her head and prayed. Then I saw her raise that broken heart towards heaven. The cracks healed and the heart became whole. Even though there were scars, the heart throbbed with joy. It became whole and floated away. Tears streamed down her face as she thanked God and then turning, stooped to touch the next heart.

  I stood in wonder. The process had been long and had taken much from this young woman. The broken hearts were many and strewn far and wide. I said, "Miss, what are you doing? There are so many, you will never be able to help them all." Her face lit with joy as another broken heart was healed. She watched it float away and said, " But I made a difference to that one. I don't do the healing but Jesus does. I only listen and lift them up to God. Maybe I can't help them all, but I can make a difference for some."

  I looked down at a broken heart laying near me and then I bent to touch it gently, to listen and to pray. I knew the two of us couldn't save them all, but as I lifted that heart to Jesus and He healed it, as it floated away to a new life, I knew I had made a difference for that one.

This story isn't cut and dry. It is a nice imagination. In real life some hearts turn away from us and don't want help. In real life, helping someone takes years and we often don't see the fruits of our labors. Maybe the story should say we just touch each heart and help it in the process of healing a little bit and then someone else does the same and another person, and through the work of many, one heart can heal. In real life we don't finish lifting one person to God and turn to the next one in a well ordered, neatly planned way. In real life, pointing people to the healer is messy and heart breaking. And sometimes our broken heart needs to be lifted to God and His healing touch allowed to work in our lives. Maybe it should talk about the people who don't take time to stop and help listen and heal hearts. How by walking quickly they get farther in life, but haven't taken time for what really matters. Maybe it should talk about how hearts get broken. And how we can keep from breaking them.

  But for the sake of the comparison to the story about star fish we will leave it the way it is. The message I need to hold on to is still the same. As wonderful as it would be to help everyone find Jesus, sometimes we just need to focus on the one in front of us at that moment. We need to slow down and listen to the broken hearts around us. We can make a difference for someone.