
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: FRIDAY, April 12, 1991                   TAG: 9104120276
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: B1   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

TALE OF THE SEA MAKES A POINT

Chuck Jackson, an Oklahoma counselor who spoke Thursday, used this story to show how adults can't give up on troubled children just because there are so many in need of help. They need to be helped one at a time.

\ A man walking along a beach came across a young boy throwing stranded starfish back out into the sea that was ebbing into low tide. The man stopped and asked the boy what he was doing, and the boy told him he was trying to help return the starfish to their homes.

The man, being cynical like most adults, said, "This beach is miles and miles long in both directions and these fish get stranded here every day, 365 days a year. Tell me, how do you expect to make a difference with your measly effort?"

The boy looked down at the starfish cradled in his hand, looked up at the man and then heaved the starfish as far into the water as he could. He said, "Sir, if I'm not mistaken, I just made a whole lot of difference to that one."

by CNB