How to Change the World? I Don't Know, but I Can Do This...

 

Photo by Karla Hernandez on Unsplash

I don't know about you, but I often get overwhelmed thinking about how to make a difference in the world. The problems all feel so big. 

Hunger. Clean water for the developing world. Malaria, AIDS, and COVID. Natural disasters. Affordable housing. Systemic racism. Gun violence. Environmentalism and climate change.

And that's just a few. How can I volunteer, donate, and raise awareness for all the good causes in the world? Or how do I decide which is the most important?

Like I said, it gets overwhelming. But lately, I've been wondering if I'm asking the wrong questions. Instead of asking how to do everything, or who is most deserving of my care, or whether my small contribution will really make a difference, what if I asked a simpler question: 

Who can I show love to right now?

When I ask this question, it changes my perspective. I'm not as overwhelmed with huge complicated problems I can't fix alone because I'm looking at my immediate surroundings and thinking about what I do have available. It also makes the solutions more concrete and real.

Who can I show love to right now?

I can call or text my friend who's lonely. I can introduce myself to my new neighbor. I can give random compliments. Or maybe I can donate $5 to whatever cause I'm thinking about most. 

I can't do everything or make a huge dent in the world's problems, but I can do something, something that makes a difference, even if it's small. 

Who can you show love to right now?

From the Gray, 

Pastor Ari

“I gotta learn to love right where I’m at.” -NEEDTOBREATHE, “Bottom of a Heartbreak”