“Never believe that a few caring people can’t change the world. For, indeed, that’s all who ever have.” (Margaret Mead) – as seen on the Jack’s Winning Words blog some time ago.
We have recently seen the impact in Michigan that a few caring people had on exposing the Flint water crisis and in earlier actions elsewhere by so-called whistle blowers that got investigations started into things like the problems within the VA or the school supplies scandal in Detroit. Those were all actions by people who cared about right and wrong and who decided to do the right thing, even if it was unpopular or could have caused them personal loss. The other thing that they did was recognize that they didn’t have to solve the problems all by themselves. They knew that by exposing the issues to the right people they could get the attention of many others that would be needed to actually tackle the problem or make the needed changes.
There are many really big problems in the world for which we must be content with doing something small to help; something that contributes, even if we can’t see the end result. 
That’s why we put our money in the Red Salvation Army kettles at Christmas or maybe we join a prayer circle at church and pray for people that we don’t even know who have been through some natural disaster in some foreign place. Both actions have a positive impact that we don’t get to see directly.
In America we have another opportunity to show that we care coming up later this year as we go to the polls and express that care through our votes. What we care about often dictates who and what we vote for or against. For some that care leads them to become volunteers on the campaign staffs of candidates who seem to share their views about what needs to be changed or done. For others, just the act of getting out and voting is enough to show that they care. I wear my little “I Voted” sticker the rest of the day on Election Day, as much as anything to say, “I cared enough to try to change things, did you?”
Maybe there ought to be a little sticker that you could wear around that says “I Prayed”, to 
show that you cared enough to take the time to pray for those in need and for solutions to the big, seemingly impossible problems that plague the world, such as hunger or diseases or discrimination. After all, where are you going to take those big problems and find someone who has a proven track record of doing the impossible and performing miracles? People of faith know that somewhere, somehow, someone will benefit from those prayers. You may not see the results, but you know that there are always results when you ask God for help.
So, if you care, do something about it. Maybe you can take some direct action, maybe not; but, you can always pray. Maybe Mead’s little quote should be slightly changed to read – “Never believe that a few praying people can’t change the world. For, indeed, that’s all who ever have.”
Posted by Norm Werner 
There are certainly plenty of stories in the Bible of God providing when called upon, some of them even involving food or drink. The Bible is also full of references of mankind “hungering or thirsting” for religious signs or reinforcement of beliefs. It’s as if we can only go so long on one serving of faith before we need another “meal”, another helping of God’s love. That new helping of faith comes through prayer. We ask God and He provides. We need no spoon for the nourishment for our souls that comes looking upward and opening our mouths in prayer.
Many times we may be saying “Thank You” for surviving things that we should have been praying “Help me” for in the first place. The free will that God gave mankind oft turns to a curse when it becomes an ego too big to ask for help. Sometimes it is our own insecurities
that hold us back or make us afraid to even try to solve our own problems.
faith know that they are never alone; that God is always there, willing to listen and to help, if only we ask. Most of the time the solution is already within us and what we should ask God for is help bringing it out – “Give me the strength to endure this, Give me the wisdom to make the right decision, or maybe give me the patience that I need to deal with this. Those things are all within us and God can bring them out. The thing holding them in is our own ego or insecurities and by way of prayer we lower those barriers and let God use what we have within us to resolve our problems.
C.S. Lewis wrote The Screwtape Letters, a story in which a senior devil (Screwtape) instructs a junior devil (Wormwood) on how to how to lead a person away from his faith. Tempt him to concentrate on self, materialism, doubt of God. Martin Luther once said that the best way to deal with the devil is to laugh at him. “Screwtape” was required reading in seminary. 😉 Jack
unusual these to see two people out to dinner, sitting at a table together; but, both intently staring at their smartphones rather than talking to each other. We live in a materialistic society, so the smartphones accomplish the second task for the devil by getting us to focus on ourselves, rather than those around us. If you become fixated on your smartphone, the devil’s already two thirds of the way towards leading you away from your faith. Fortunately there are apps for that. Go to your app store and search for faith. You’ll find lots of apps that you might download to help keep you in touch with your faith.
away”; one might also say, “a prayer a day keeps the devil away.” While one may pray for the well being of others, it is also a good idea to pray for your own well being each day. It can be a simple as asking God to be with you during the day and to help you do the right things and make the right decisions as the day goes along. That may not seem to you to be laughing at the devil, but nothing is more off putting to the devil than daily reaffirmation of your faith through prayer.
he devil by asking the Lord to walk with you throughout the day. If you must consult your smartphone, open up your faith app for a quick faith pick-me-up. That shuffling sound that you may hear is the devil skulking off into the darkness where he belongs.
should be able to find solutions for every problem that we face. We are reluctant (some might even say stubborn) in our inability to admit that we need help, that we can’t solve every problem or that some problems are just too big and too intractable for us. We get frustrated and angry that we can’t “work it out” or “work through it”. Sometimes that frustration turns to depression because we allow ourselves to feel like we are failures because of inability to deal with the problems at hand. But, take heart; everything’s going to be OK.
ing to let my teammate in life take care of this one with me.” Once you let God take the yoke with you, the responsibility for bearing it alone will be lifted from your shoulders. Everything’s going to be OK.
personal. Maybe the “solution” is not really a solution at all; but, rather the need to just accept the situation or the consequences and move on. Many times the crisis is mainly of our own making or in our minds; a product of the scenarios that we conjure up in our struggle to deal with situations that have no real solution. Rather than continue down the rat-hole of trying to solve the impossible puzzle; stop and ask for God’s help. Try the simple prayer, “not my will but thy will be done.” Then let go of it. Give the problem to God and trust in Him. Whatever happens next remember that everything’s’ going to be OK.
You’ve stumbled upon people who live their lives by today’s quote. They never give up hope and they are thankful for what they have, even though it may not seem to be much to us. Most of the time you will have also encountered someone who has a deep faith and belief in God. It is upon that rock that they can build their optimistic or upbeat frame of mind and take life as it is.
want to surround themselves with the Eeyores of life, but rather with the Winnie the Poohs or even the Tiggers and Piglets. While there are some who might come across as disgustingly upbeat; they are still preferable to those who only want to drag you into their personal mental dungeons.
with a little prayer that asks for God’s help as the day goes on. Perhaps something like, “Dear God, help me make the right decisions today on the things that I can control; let me hand off to you the things that I cannot control; and give me the wisdom to know the difference.”
NormsMilfordBlog 