A Single Grain of Sand

Today, we would like to welcome two very worthy new Member Agencies to C.O.D.R.A.’s complement of volunteer organizations helping to rebuild Pearlington. Both organizations are represented by dedicated, hard-working men with whom I am very proud to be associated:

First is Franklin United Methodist Church of Franklin, Massachusetts, whose efforts in Pearlington are led by John Chickering. John and his teams have worked very hard on a wide variety of projects and have provided badly needed materials and labor.

Please check them out at:
http://www.franklinumc.org

Second is Hickory Hammock Baptist Church Local Missions Ministry, of Milton, Florida - locally directed by Doug Pennington. Doug and his group have been rebuilding churches in Pearlington since Sept. 16, 2005.

You may check out their web site at:
http://www.hickoryhammockbaptist.org

WELCOME BOTH! Together, we will git ‘er done!

I would also like to draw your attention to a comment posted on yesterday’s article by Wendy Frost, penned by Jeanne Brooks - a dedicated educator, student and grand Southern Belle. To view her comments, click on the "Comments" link at the bottom of yesterday’s story "A Most Beautiful Compensation." Thanks, Jeanne. As usual, a pleasure to hear so eloquently from you.

The fact is, that it only takes a single grain of sand, placed on the scales at a critical moment, to tip the balance in the opposite direction. When that critical mass is reached, it could go either way. As a critical mass in the rebuilding of Pearlington is reached, only one more volunteer, one more piece of wood or drywall or insulation will tip the balance and we will rush to completion together.

That is why I was not kidding when I suggested that we could rebuild Pearlington by August 29, 2007. We are approaching that point of critical mass and every person, every stick of lumber counts and that one bit that is applied at the tipping point is dependent on all that came before.

What if YOU are that critical grain of sand?

When I was travelling regularly between Canada and the war in Bosnia in the 90's, I would invariably end up sitting beside some North American businessman on the plane from Frankfurt. Invariably, he would ask me where I was coming from and I would tell him. Invariably, he would look at me scornfully and ask me, usually with a couple of martinis under his belt, if I really thought doing play therapy programs with children in refugee camps ACTUALLY made a difference?

The first few times, the question angered me. I came to a place of peace about it though, and decided I would create a stock answer:

"Sir, I have absolutely no idea if I made any difference whatsoever.

But I’m pretty sure if I’d stayed home, I didn’t."

"Here’s test to know if your mission on Earth is finished:
If you are still alive....it isn’t."
- Richard Bach