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ServantofJesus β€” Make a Difference

#difference #starfish
Published: 2009-09-25 17:03:57 +0000 UTC; Views: 1880; Favourites: 70; Downloads: 66
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Description I took a photo of this starfish while I was on holiday in Portugal; when I got back home to look at all my photos, it was my mum that suggested to put the Starfish story along side with it - which I thought was a great idea!

Christians too can make a difference, just like the young man in the story.

There is a parallel here between us being called to reach out and save the lost, and also about being saved by God's grace.

Those starfish cannot save themselves, it is the grace of the young man to 'save' the starfish by throwing them back in the sea/to safety.

Of course any analogy like this breaks down at some point - because I'm not saying that the job of saving people is too much for Him, nononono!

I'll not go any further than this, as it starts to get complicated, lol.

Ephesians 2:8-9
8"For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;

9not as a result of works, so that no one may boast."

So here it is As the old man walked the beach at dawn, he noticed a young man ahead of him picking up starfish and flinging them into the sea. Finally catching up with the youth, he asked him why he was doing this. The answer was that the stranded starfish would die if left until the morning sun.

"But the beach goes on for miles and miles and there are millions of starfish," countered the other. "How can your effort make any difference?"

The young man looked at the starfish in his hand and then threw it to safety in the waves. "It makes a difference to this one," he said.

*edit 2017* I've re-done this Deviation, and updated it to a bigger size


*minor edit, July 2021* sharpened the starfish image a little


Also, here's a *beautiful* song to go with it, called 'Reach One More for Jesus '

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Comments: 24

DumbledoreAskedCalm [2024-10-24 07:59:16 +0000 UTC]

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TalithaChristian [2020-05-10 20:34:34 +0000 UTC]

(As I looked at your photo, I had inspiration to write this poem! If you'd like to, I wonder if you could put the words of this poem with your photo and see how that would work?)

Wounded Starfish,Β 
Do you know the God
Who keeps His Promise
When men do not?

Wounded Starfish,
Do you sing your praise
To the God who is love
In all of His ways?

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ServantofJesus In reply to TalithaChristian [2020-05-17 18:39:33 +0000 UTC]

Lovely, thanks Tiffany

I'm not sure how I would do it - to have both versions on here. I mean, I could do it as a 'new Deviation', but it would mean I'd still have the same starfish photo on here twice, but with 2 different texts on it ( ).


I could put it in the comments section and credit it to you?

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Truth-lover3712 [2017-12-27 21:41:18 +0000 UTC]

That is so beautiful!

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TheTraitor44 [2017-04-27 14:57:35 +0000 UTC]

Love this story.

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Shadoweddancer [2016-09-13 18:46:52 +0000 UTC]

Β I really love this. Β 

"It makes a difference to this one,"This is the motto of the Christian kid's camp where I do volunteer work. Β Anyone you share the love of Christ with may make all the difference. Β 

Thank you for sharing.

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ServantofJesus In reply to Shadoweddancer [2016-09-17 21:21:41 +0000 UTC]

You're very welcome

I really like that story, too

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coolcaro101 [2013-06-19 01:33:37 +0000 UTC]

love this story

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DailyBird [2011-08-21 17:52:25 +0000 UTC]

I absolutely love Loren Eiseley, he was such a brilliant man.

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RSC3 [2010-09-13 21:25:20 +0000 UTC]

Thank you for putting this on. This is beautiful.

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Definitia [2009-10-31 17:59:24 +0000 UTC]

I know that story and I love it, because it has such a beautiful message + starfishes are amazing creatures
And I read somewhere on the net that the original story was written by Loren Eisley. Maybe you should look that information up?
And you're SO right... We're just as helpless as those starfishes, we can't do anything without Him...
By the way, really nice photo, I love how colorful and sharp it is, but I wonder what happened to the poor creature... (it seems it got out of water like the ones in the story)

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ServantofJesus In reply to Definitia [2009-12-07 16:50:09 +0000 UTC]

Oh yes, you're quite right, it was Loren Eiseley that did it.

Stupidly enough for me, I didn't save the file with the layers intact, so I can't just edit the picture and update the text

I suppose I should just put it in the artists comments. >.<


Thanks alot, anyway

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Definitia In reply to ServantofJesus [2009-12-14 19:32:35 +0000 UTC]

I think you still can edit it by making, say, a small background in the place where "[Author Unknown]" is written now, and in the same color it was written; and write over it in a different color. I hope that doesn't ruin the composition though

Anyway, you're very welcome, bro

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gracelikerain316 [2009-10-26 09:57:25 +0000 UTC]

lovely. great starfish pic.. the missing point makes a 'oint' in itself. it reminds me we aren't perfect. but still beautiful. it's really a hopeful image.

bless you

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ServantofJesus In reply to gracelikerain316 [2009-10-26 18:58:22 +0000 UTC]

Thanks alot for that

At first I wondered what you meant about the point missing [I almost "missed the point" of what you were saying then ], but I see what you mean now - that's an excellent concept there!

It's nice to hear from you again - it seems to have been a while now

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gracelikerain316 In reply to ServantofJesus [2009-11-03 21:55:32 +0000 UTC]

hahaha! i've been away for ages. not much time for dA these days (or anything much). I still like to browse thru when i can.

God bless you

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pralinkova-princezna [2009-10-05 14:43:38 +0000 UTC]

I know this story, it is amazing, huh?

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MatthewPalfenier [2009-10-03 22:17:13 +0000 UTC]

Great story, and great image. ^_^

God bless!

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ServantofJesus In reply to MatthewPalfenier [2009-10-27 14:45:33 +0000 UTC]

Thank you [sorry for the late reply ]

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MatthewPalfenier In reply to ServantofJesus [2009-10-28 02:54:50 +0000 UTC]

No prob!

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IanM [2009-10-03 20:06:33 +0000 UTC]

I love this story!

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DCLeadboot [2009-10-02 18:00:25 +0000 UTC]

Heh, nice little story...
Like they say at Tesco - every little helps!

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ServantofJesus In reply to DCLeadboot [2009-10-06 16:29:00 +0000 UTC]

LOL!

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hope-seeker [2009-09-25 17:08:28 +0000 UTC]

Such a great poem! Been a while since I heard it!

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