One day a terrible fire broke out in a forest – a huge woodlands was suddenly engulfed by a raging wild-fire.
Frightened, all of the animals fled their homes and ran out of the forest. As they came to the edge of a stream, they stopped and looked back to watch the fire.
They were feeling very discouraged and powerless, as they all bemoaned the destruction of their homes. Each of them thought there was nothing they could do about the fire…except for one little hummingbird.
This particular hummingbird decided it would do something. It swooped into the stream and picked up a few drops of water and went into the forest and put them on the fire.
Then it went back to the stream and did it again; it kept going back, again and again and again.
All of the other animals watched in disbelief; some tried to discourage the hummingbird with comments like:
“Don’t bother, it is too much; you are too little, your wings will burn;
your beak is too tiny; it’s only a drop; you can’t put out this fire.”
And, as the animals stood around disparaging the little bird’s efforts, the hummingbird noticed how hopeless and forlorn they all looked.
Then one of the animals shouted out and called out to the hummingbird in a mocking voice, “What do you think you are doing?”
And the hummingbird, without wasting time or losing a beat, looked back and said, “I am doing what I can.”
How many times do we look at the world around us and become overwhelmed? or the shear size of problems and become paralyzed and do nothing. Or, compare ourselves to others and feel our efforts are too small to matter.
Be encouraged that your small efforts become big in the hands of God!
Colossians 3:17
“Whatever you do in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.”
Colossians 3:23-24
“Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord and not for people, knowing that it is from the Lord that you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve.
© Susan Smart
