How many times do we look at the world around us and become overwhelmed? 

Do we ever look at what "big" things other people are doing and compare ourselves thinking our efforts are too small?

This story about a hummingbird comes from a parable of the Quechuan people of South America; its message encourages us to do what we can when we can. Be encouraged that our small efforts become big in the hands of God!

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One day a terrible fire broke out in a forest - a huge woodlands was suddenly engulfed by a raging wild-fire.

Frightened, all of the animals fled their homes and ran out of the forest. As they came to the edge of a stream, they stopped and looked back to watch the fire. 

They were feeling very discouraged and powerless, as they all bemoaned the destruction of their homes. Each of them thought there was nothing they could do about the fire…except for one little hummingbird.

This particular hummingbird decided it would do something. It swooped into the stream and picked up a few drops of water and went into the forest and put them on the fire. 

Then it went back to the stream and did it again; it kept going back, again and again and again.

All of the other animals watched in disbelief; some tried to discourage the hummingbird with comments like:

          “Don’t bother, it is too much; you are too little, your wings will burn; 
           your beak is too tiny; it’s only a drop; you can’t put out this fire.”

And, as the animals stood around disparaging the little bird’s efforts, the hummingbird noticed how hopeless and forlorn they all looked.

Then one of the animals shouted out and called out to the hummingbird in a mocking voice, “What do you think you are doing?”

And the hummingbird, without wasting time or losing a beat, looked back and said, “I am doing what I can.”

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How often we can become overwhelmed by fear or the shear size of problems and become paralyzed and do nothing. Or, we may compare ourselves to others and feel our efforts would be too small to matter.

Small…what we consider to be small and insignificant may actually be huge in God's scheme of things. Have you ever noticed how often God's view and the world's view are opposite? 

    The world says, "Be first!"  God says, "Be last."  

  The world says, "Go, go, go!"  God says, "Be still." 

    The world says, "Bigger is better!"  God says, "Small is important.”

The widow giving her offering of two small coins in Luke 21:1-4, was affirmed by Jesus when He said she had given more than all the rest. Jesus went on to say in Luke 16:10, "He who is faithful in a very little thing is faithful also in much.”

In God's hands, small can become big, just as it was told in John 6, when a boy's lunch of five loaves and two fish became enough to feed over 5,000 people and still have leftovers!  

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This little hummingbird story can remind us to do what we can.  Everything we do for the Lord Jesus matters. It counts!

• Every word

• Every prayer

• Every act of kindness

• Every hug

• Every penny

“Small” counts in the hands of our BIG God!

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"Whatever you do in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.”  Colossians 3:17 NASB

"Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord and not for people, knowing that it is from the Lord that you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve. Colossians 3:23-24 NASB

”Pay careful attention to your own work, for then you will get the satisfaction of a job well done, and you won’t need to compare yourself to anyone else.  For we are each responsible for our own conduct.”  Galatians 6:4-5 NLT

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Used by permission of Susan Smart www.CreativeBibleStudy.com

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If you liked this story and would like a copy of either of my books,
they are available on Amazon in both paperback and Kindle format:

If you have a story or testimony that you think might bless others,
I invite you to send it by email to me (Kenneth Kersey) at godsotherways@me.com.

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