Day I dunno :/

Sheila Day 13

It is only December 9th and Rah and I have been at this for less than two weeks . . . I am extremely challenged!  In a world that is driven by likes and shares and numbers that determine one's success on a lot of levels, I find myself falling prey to the "numbers" game within the confines of this blog.

The first year we wrote this blog, it was to help us.  The writing was therapeutic and the doing for others, well, felt AMAZING!  We were happy that others read it, but quite honestly, that was just a bonus as both of us grew through the process of writing.  Year two was brutal!  Weirdly enough, people began to respond, and the number of viewers to our blog skyrocketed.  Each night we were surprised that anyone was that interested in what either of us had to say.  This year, each night makes us realize that for some odd reason the numbers matter.  And this morning, I found myself thinking about quitting for next year, and brainstorming what in the world we should do for the rest of this one to just get through.  It actually kind of hurts my heart.  I just did not know what to do?

Then, as it often does, God moment.  This morning I received a message from Jamie who is a friend of mine from my former congregation. He wrote, "you got me thinking again, a rewind button on my life maybe?  An edit button not so sure I would change too much of this journey I am currently on, there are positives on this journey, or maybe I have just adapted to the new me?"  Jamie is only a couple of years older than I am, and while I was serving as pastor in his church, Jamie had a severe stroke.  I was there with him right after it happened, I walked with him as he went through rehab, I was connected to Jamie and his family as I buried his mama and daddy, and we became close friends.

 Life for Jamie has never been the same as seemingly everything shifted in the blink of an eye.  But "life IS what you make it!"  Jamie would come in and chat with me at the church, he helped my confirmation classes, and we chatted often about life.  And this morning when I was questioning if what we were doing really mattered, God gave me a glimpse of something bigger than I am.  I told Jamie that I really wondered if anyone was even reading and he told me it is the first thing that he does when he logs on in the  morning . . . sigh . . .  and I remembered the little boy and the starfish story which goes like this.

A young man is walking along the ocean and sees a beach on which thousands and thousands of starfish have washed ashore. Further along he sees an old man, walking slowly and stooping often, picking up one starfish after another and tossing each one gently into the ocean.

“Why are you throwing starfish into the ocean?,” he asks. “Because the sun is up and the tide is going out and if I don’t throw them further in they will die.” “But, old man, don’t you realize there are miles and miles of beach and starfish all along it! You can’t possibly save them all, you can’t even save one-tenth of them. In fact, even if you work all day, your efforts won’t make any difference at all.”

The old man listened calmly and then bent down to pick up another starfish and threw it into the sea. “It made a difference to that one.”  Tonight I thank God for letting me see Him through Jamie's eyes.  Thank you Jamie for reminding me that our lives and stories make a difference . . . even if only to one.

Sheila

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Sarah Day 13

Sometimes I relate this years blog to my journey as a Humane Educator. I often find myself wondering if I really am making a difference, or if I really can make a difference. When ;you have people like me who want to make our world a more peaceful and humane place, unfortunately, numbers matter . . . Probably more than they should. But, like with this blog, if we are able to make one day a little better or one life a little brighter, than what we're doing is working, and I think that makes it worth it.

I post a lot of pictures of my foster cats on Facebook and on Instagram. I think that the most effective way to impact a person's life is through education. In our society today, education comes in all different forms, the internet (and social media specifically) being one of the biggest forms. And although some of my pictures or posts several likes, I am constantly wondering if anyone really cares or if anyone is looking at my pictures as more than a picture. More like, a lesson. 

A couple of months ago, someone posted a picture on Instagram of her kitty that she had to put down. I don't talk to this girl very much, but I have had to put a pet down before and it is heartbreaking, so I commented and told her that I was sorry about her kitty. She wrote back and said that her cat is in a much better place now where she is pain free. She ended her comment with, "Love all the work that you do!" Someone that I rarely talk to made my day with just one simple sentence. Later that week, she messaged me on Facebook saying that she appreciates everything I do and that she knows how difficult it must be. She also said that I do not get the credit I deserve. I do not need credit for what I choose to do, I just want everyone to know how important it is to have people who speak up for our animals. Later on, this girl asked me for advice on how she can get more involved with volunteering in her town. She said she wasn't able to foster yet, but she could definitely donate some time, and that she hopes to begin fostering soon. I was thrilled that she was asking me about other ways that she can help. THAT is what I'm looking for. For people to be inspired and want to help because it's important and it makes a difference. 

A couple of weeks ago, my cousin Miranda asked me if she could interview me about fostering for her college English class. She said they were able to choose their topic and that she decided to choose fostering because of the lack of space in our shelters. Of course I was ecstatic and told her that I would love to help! The a week later, Miranda texted me about setting up a time. I texted back and said, "11:00 is great! Thank you for thinking of me to do the interview!" Her response was, "Of course I thought of you! This is a topic dear to your heart! Also you are probably the most knowledgeable about animal shelters and fostering than anyone I know." That's pretty huge, and for me, a compliment doesn't get any better than that!

So while numbers are important, with this blog and with life, we need to remember that just because the views, likes and shares are not where we want them to be in order to feel like we matter, we must have faith that we do matter to someone, somewhere. People may not always vocalize their appreciation, but when they do, it's at the perfect moment when we catch ourselves thinking about quitting. And then that one person who speaks up to say, "Thank you for what you're doing," is the one person who shows us that we must keep going and continue with the journey that we started on so long ago. We must keep fostering, teaching, and blogging because it does matter. It does make a difference. We have made an impact and we will continue to make an impact. Little by little, we can impact a life, and we can change the world. 

Sarah