Redtree Times

Absorbing Light— At the West End Gallery

I am only one,
But still I am one.
I cannot do everything,
But still I can do something;
And because I cannot do everything,
I will not refuse to do the something that I can do.

–Edward Everett Hale, Lend a Hand

Small things count.

That’s it. That’s the message for today.

Though there seems to be a lot of folks out there right now who believe only their voice and their opinions and actions are valid, most of us sit at the other end of the spectrum. We often believe that we are small and insignificant, that our thoughts and actions are of little consequence.

That like Hale pointed out, we are only one and cannot do everything.

But one is still one. One is something. One possesses the potential for growth. It can become two, then three and on and on.

Everything starts at one.

Every great idea, every great movement and accomplishment of humanity, began with the thought of one person. And sometimes that one thought was belittled and dismissed. It often took time and persistence before that one became two.

And even if that one doesn’t aspire to greatness, it still has the potential for great meaning and purpose. It might be a small thought or action that could have great consequence for the next person.

The next one.

It might be a small act of kindness or generosity that inspires them to do the same for others going forward.

Do what you can and don’t focus on what you cannot do. And never give up or give in. Persist.

Because small things count.

Sorry to preach. But that’s my sermon for today, though most of it comes from the thought of another one.

New Englander Edward Everett Hale was born in 1822 and died in 1909. He was a clergyman and a writer, best known for his book, The Man Without a Country. The short verse at the top was written near the end of his life and was based on an earlier statement of his:

I am only one, but I am one. I can’t do everything, but I can do something. The something I ought to do, I can do. And by the grace of God, I will.

They both basically say the same thing but the statement is a bit more defiant, that moral rightness sometimes requires us to take a stand even though might do so as one, alone.

I think I like the statement a bit more…