In a previous post I spoke about all of us being able to, but not all of us would, and I wanted to share this personal story to illustrate the point. The reason being is that it made a huge impact on my life and was a lesson that will be with me for the rest of my life.

I was in Mozambique in 2000 just after the bad flooding and I was assisting a group of girls from the youth group at a church I was attending. The purpose of the group was to help run the camp and assist the lady who was running an orphanage for displaced and orphaned kids. The tasks consisted of cleaning the camp, cooking food, wiping snotty noses and generally helping where it was needed. There were about seven hundred or so kids ranging from new born babies to young teenagers and it was quite a job to help those in need. One day, the lady who was leading the youth group (now my wife) decided that the kids needed a treat and organized a little surprise party for them but the supplies were low and so every kid got a little something, be it a page from a coloring-in book and a colored pencil or a balloon or a piece of string – every kid got something … except for one young boy who got nothing. I was at a loss because we had nothing left to give this little boy and he wandered off and disappeared. I was concerned about this but was busy entertaining the masses and carried on with the task at hand.

I was wearing a hooded top, one of my favorites from my sailing days and it was a little threadbare and had developed a little tear in the front of about 5 centimeters. Anyway, a little later, this young boy who had not received anything, re-appeared and came back to find me. He stood in front of me, took out a needle and thread and started sewing up the tear in my top … I stood there in tears while he was busy, unable to say anything. I was utterly lost for words but was extremely blessed by this selfless act of kindness.

The whole principle of this story is that this kid, who had been orphaned, who was displaced from family and who had received nothing at this little party had somehow managed to find a needle and thread and sew up my top. Instead of being let down at having received nothing he was able to do what he did … this little guy could … and he did.

How many times have we been disappointed in life by not getting what we wanted when everyone else has? How many times have we moped around when things have not gone our way? How many times could we have given something small to someone else when we thought we had nothing to give? This little boy showed me that even when you have nothing there is still something that can be done.

I say it again: All of us can … most of us won’t and next time I will elaborate on the why we can’t and what holds us back.

Be driven by love and fueled by desire….