I don’t have to do it all. I just have to do my thing.
-- Esther Davis-Thompson, MotherLove: Reinventing a Good and Blessed Future for Our Children

Everyday we hear and see things that tug at our hearts and senses. The news headlines racial injustice throughout American cities; hate crimes; rising resentment against immigrants; war in Iraq and Afghanistan; conflicts in Rwanda, Somalia, and Darfur; failing peace talks in the Middle East; melting icebergs, rising sea levels, and global warming; abused children; achievement gaps; illiteracy; Wall Street surges and dives; recalled food; identity fraud; drug trafficking; fires; floods; HIV/AIDS; dirty water; kids in trouble; marriages in trouble; narcissism; and the list goes on. All of this circulates in our minds, gripping pieces and parts of our Souls, revving us to find the cure and solution for all of it. Unfortunately, we’re often left feeling tired, overwhelmed, and hopeless just thinking about it.

Well, you don’t have to do it all. You don’t even have to think about all of it. You are not required to solve all the problems of the world. You are only obligated to do what you can as best you can.

Hmm, that’s worth repeating - you are not required to solve all the problems of the world. You are only obligated to do what you can as best you can.

The key to not becoming overwhelmed and hopeless – sorry, you will get tired – is to take the piece of an issue that you can handle, the portion of it that speaks to you, and do with it what you do best. Use your time and talents to solve a problem in the way that works for you. Perhaps you are most passionate about ending global illiteracy but taking on this large effort is more than you can fathom doing alone. So join one or two of the many volunteer literacy programs in your community and teach a child or adult to read. One drop in the bucket may not seem like a lot, but it’s one more in the bucket toward ending one of the world’s problems.

Maybe world hunger breaks your heart. And just maybe you love to cook. Consider making a few meals for hungry families in your community over the holidays. You may not have fed the globe, but you kept a few people from starvation.

Maybe abused and abandoned children have a soft spot in your heart. Consider adopting or being a foster parent to a child who believes he’ll never have a safe place to call home or a family of his own. Perhaps that’s one less hurting child.

Maybe you sing. Consider using your melodic voice to raise the spirits of the “seasoned” in the nursing centers or teaching children to appreciate real music. Maybe you have the gift of gab. Consider teaching someone how to pray.

You don’t have to save the world. That’s what Jesus came to do. You only have to do what you can with what you have. You can only do what’s in your personal capacity.

This perceived little bit is your opportunity to serve. Serve as you can, who you can, and as best you can. That’ll make the biggest difference in the world.
Sadiqqa © 2007