Two jars of peanut butter, 6 cans of chicken noodle soup, and 4 boxes of mac and cheese divided into little manageable loads for my kids to carry onto the school bus.

Every year they’re eager to participate in the school food drive to benefit the local food bank. They were so excited to choose those items they now carry, and to add them one by one to our shopping cart. But as I watch their little backpacks bounce down the street to the bus stop, I can’t help but feel the sting of helplessness. Such a small contribution, it hardly seems like it could make any real difference for the families struggling to feed hungry bellies. Most days I’m completely discouraged by all of the problems and pain in this world. I feel acutely that I’m just one person. What can I really do to change anything? I’m just an everyday, average mom, living an ordinary and simple life. I don’t have fame. I don’t have millions of dollars. The little bit I’m able to offer feels so depressingly… small. Still, I can’t help but smile watching little hands proudly clutching their shopping bags as they climb the big, bus steps

Together, we really did make a difference.

A week later the food drive results are posted. Each family contributing what they could – one bag here and two bags there, yet somehow together our bags total just over 17,000 lbs of food! So many small, seemingly insignificant contributions when added together have made a huge impact. We did it! Together we really did make a difference and meet a daunting need, and the feeling of being a part of the solution is almost too wonderful to describe.

There’s no shortage of needs in this world, but instead of feeling defeated, we can experience the feelings of peace and purpose that come from being part of the answer to those needs. We don’t have to wait for an annual food drive or other initiative. Everyday we have the opportunity to take our few spare pennies, nickels, and dimes and pool them with others’ pennies, nickels, and dimes and empower amazing organizations to do all of this much needed work in the world. We can feed the hungry. We can help the sick. We can take care of orphans. We can provide shelter for the homeless. We can bring hope to those facing unthinkable circumstances. We can be the change, and live each day with the satisfaction of knowing our contributions are making this world a better place. Together our impact is multiplied exponentially. Together we experience the beautiful power of many.

“Many hands make light work.”

John Heywood

Article written by Inspired Encouraged