Life right now is mostly good, and yet I still feel weighed down by it.
Earlier this year, I wrote about disappointments that piled up, chronic pain, and weariness. Many of those things have eased. My pain is much more manageable. Several difficult circumstances have resolved. In many ways, life is good.
And yet…
Some days still feel heavy.
Maybe it’s because the whole world seems to be hurting—and I feel it right along with everyone else.
Actually, that’s biblical.
Jesus told His followers,
“In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)
And Paul wrote,
“We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.” (Romans 8:22)
I’m not sure those verses make me feel better, to be honest. But they do remind me that what I’m experiencing isn’t unusual. Jesus never promised that life would feel light. He promised that He would overcome the heaviness.
When I cautiously glance at the headlines…when I hear about another tragedy, another war, another family in crisis…when I talk with friends who are walking through incredibly difficult seasons…it can all feel overwhelming.
I find myself wondering, “What difference can one ordinary person really make?”
Then I came across a familiar quote: “In a world where you can be anything, be kind.”
That stopped me in my tracks.
Maybe I can’t change the whole world. But perhaps I can change someone’s moment.
I can smile at a stranger.
I can offer a kind word to the person in line ahead of me—or behind me.
I can bend down and help the man who dropped his stack of papers.
I can tell the frazzled mom in the grocery store, balancing a crying baby on her hip, “You’re doing a good job.”
I can pay for the coffee of the person behind me in the drive-through.
I can text a friend that I’m praying for them. I can text them the prayer!
I can hand a bottle of water and a granola bar to the homeless woman standing at the edge of the parking lot.
I can intentionally lift my eyes from my own circumstances long enough to notice the practical needs of the people around me—and then ask God to give me the wisdom and courage to respond.
Do you remember the story of the starfish?
It’s based on Loren Eiseley’s essay The Star Thrower.
After a storm, thousands of starfish had washed onto the beach and were dying in the sun. An old man watched a young boy picking them up one at a time and throwing them back into the ocean.
“There are miles of beach,” the man said. “Thousands of starfish. You can’t possibly make a difference.”
The boy picked up another starfish, tossed it into the waves, and replied,
“I made a difference to that one.”
The older I get, the more I think that’s exactly how God calls us to live.
Most of us will never solve the world’s biggest problems. We won’t end wars, eliminate hunger, cure mental illness, or erase every hurt. If we measure our lives by those standards, we’ll always feel discouraged.
But God rarely asks us to change the whole world. More often, He asks us to be faithful in the little piece of the world He’s placed in front of us.
The friend who needs someone to listen.
The neighbor who feels lonely.
The cashier who’s been treated impatiently all day.
The person quietly sitting in church, wondering if anyone notices they’re struggling.
Paul wrote,
“Let us not become weary in doing good… Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people…” (Galatians 6:9–10)
I love those words: as we have opportunity.
Paul isn’t asking us to do everything. He’s reminding us to do the good that’s right in front of us. Maybe that’s the antidote to the heaviness I’ve been feeling.
Not pretending the world isn’t broken. Not ignoring suffering. But refusing to let the darkness keep me from bringing a little light wherever God gives me the chance.
One smile.
One prayer.
One encouraging text.
One act of generosity.
One conversation.
One starfish.
Maybe today life isn’t falling apart for you—but it still feels heavy.
If that’s where you find yourself, you’re not alone.
Jesus never promised a trouble-free life, but He did promise His presence. And perhaps one of the most hope-filled prayers we can pray is this:
“Lord, who needs a little of Your kindness through me today?”
We may never know how far our kindness travels. But the God who sees every sparrow fall also sees every quiet act of love done in His name. He delights in using ordinary people to bring extraordinary hope.
And perhaps, in helping someone else carry their burden, we’ll discover that our own load doesn’t feel quite so heavy anymore.
Peggy ha colaborado con Fresh Hope como facilitadora de grupos durante más de 8 años y como entrenadora de agenes de esperanza (Hope Coaches) durante más de 6 años. Puedes ponerte en contacto con ella en peggy@freshhope.us.
