We Are All Tasked As Steward's of Creation
I've been busy trying to connect with people for the last few weeks, surprisingly, to no avail, with very little response.
I've contacted hundreds of people in my contact lists in my phone book, WhatsApp & Facebook, together with hundreds of groups, where there are millions of people, but nothing of any significant value has come from this.
People have given me compliments, like, love and care emojis and wished me luck, but very people have stretched out their hand to help.
We were ALL tasked with being Stewards of Creation, not just some of us, all of us.
The health of a nation is the responsibility of each and every one of us, and we must all do our part to a significant degree, as we are able, sharing the load and helping one another.
Everybody, Somebody, Anybody & Nobody
There was an important job to be done and Everybody was sure that Somebody would do it.
Anybody could have done it, but Nobody did it.
Somebody got angry that Nobody did it, because it was Everybody's job.
Everybody thought Anybody could do it, but Nobody realised that Everybody wouldn't do it.
It ended up that Everybody blamed Somebody when Nobody did what Anybody could have.
Creation Is Groaning
And this is how things seem to be right now in the world of animal rescue.
Creation is groaning under the heavy, hard and harrowing yoke that man has burdened it with.
Wickedness, ignorance and foolishness is reigning supreme and everybody is too busy, too unaffected (until it affects them), too broken, too distracted, too medicated, too asleep and too hardened to help.
We have to step up, we have to take an interest, we have to know the truth, we have to know how our actions and inactions are contributing, we have to wake up from our slumber, we have to do something positive and we have to do better!!!
The world needs us, and we need to get involved, no longer can we afford to be back-seat drivers as bad things happen when good men and women do nothing.
The Time Is Now
There is no time to wait, the time is now.
Millions of animals the world over are dying needlessly, hopelessly and recklessly, every day, because not enough people are taking action.
The burden on those who are on the ground, carrying the load and doing the work is enormous, and it's too much to bear alone.
We need help, supporters, champions, those who are willing to share our posts, their homes, their hearts and their finances to help to cover the costs.
There are so many ways that people can help and it's so rewarding to be involved in a really good endeavour where a real difference is being made, but we need help.
Saving People As Well As Animals
In the work that I do, almost as many times as I’ve helped an animal, I’ve helped the people too.
There are times when people find themselves in a difficult position, having lost everything due to a series of bad decisions, or just life circumstances, and they haven’t been able to take care of their precious animal family members.
Having seen their heartfelt post, I’ve reached out to help them find a solution, whether finding or helping them to find a foster, funding or a boarding service to provide temporary care and safety until they get back on their feet.
We all need support in our hour of need and I would hope that someone helped me when I needed it most, and so far, I have been very blessed and I think that part of this is the fact that what you give out, you get back.
There is so much that each of us can do to lend a helping hand, and the fulfilment, self-worth and purpose that we gain as a result is an unintended, unanticipated and unexpected consequence.
The Power of A Single Act of Kindness
The power of a single act of kindness cannot be underestimated.
The times where I have reached out to help either a person or an animal have been so gratefully and gracefully received, they have filled both parties to overflowing.
And this has a ripple effect, whereby small consistent changes can make a big difference over time, and when this is multiplied by many, the difference we can make together is life-altering, life-affirming and profound.
To give you an example, it’s possible to save a dog, in another country even, who is facing certain death by euthanasia, by joining a load of groups and sharing their post far and wide.
That single act of kindness then ripples out to touch someone’s heart, who feels compelled to move a mountain to provide them with the life they deserve, and just like that, many lives are changed for the better, it really is that simple.
The Butterfly Effect
This ripple effect is also known as the butterfly effect where something small can have much larger effects, such as changing the destiny and trajectory of a life.
The butterfly effect is a consequence of our incredibly complex, deeply interconnected world, such that one small occurrence can influence a much larger complex system.
This is exactly what happened to me whilst I was on holiday in Greece with my family, innocently scrolling through Facebook, when I came across a desperate plea for help from a lady who was emigrating and had been unable to re-home her dog of 9 years, Diesel, who had been with her from a tiny pup.
Diesel had been scheduled to be euthanised 2 days later if a plan couldn’t be made, and knowing in my heart that no-one else would step forward to help, and that I could, I felt compelled to call the number on the post and offer my help.
I had never re-homed a dog before, but I knew I could help, and I also knew that if she took such a life-altering decision from a place of fear, weakness and vulnerability, that this would be something that she would come to regret, and I didn’t want either of them to have to go through that pain, when I knew that I could prevent this.
Strangers Becoming Friends
The power of these interactions is so beautiful, where two souls find each other in the midst of their darkest hour of need.
And we discover that we have friends that we didn’t even know we had.
The ability to be able to reach out for help and for a complete stranger to stretch out their hand and heart to support us is a testament to the beauty that lives within us.
This is the true definition of love, as love is a verb, it’s a doing word, it requires us to take action.
This was 7 years ago and having been through such an intimate and challenging ordeal together, Michelle and I became friends and Diesel went on to have a new life and a new adventure, in the same way that Michelle did.
Changing The Trajectory of My Life
Little did I know that this single act of kindness was to change the trajectory of my life, in the best possible way.
After Diesel, other dogs were sent my way and I helped everyone that crossed my path, all of whom faced certain death if I didn’t step in.
At one point, an entire rescue was closing down and every dog was at risk and again, I knew I could help and made a plan to save them all, over 200 dogs, even the ones that were deemed “unhomeable”.
I recruited 22 people, all of whom just happened to be women, and created a re-homing programme whereby each person commited to re-homing 10 dogs in exchange for free training, under a tightly orchestrated system that ensured success.
Sadly, not one person other than myself did what they committed to do and only a handful of dogs were saved, but this set me on a course to make a difference on a global scale, to those who are truly willing and able to do what it takes.
Faith & Action
Faith is a powerful force when it comes to making a powerful difference, but faith on its own is not enough, it needs to be combined with inspired action.
Too many people talk a big game and then deliver nothing, we have to take personal responsibility, commit to doing whatever it takes, for however long it takes, refusing to give up, asking for and accepting help and holding out for a miracle.
Most people don’t understand what faith is or how to apply it, the heart of the Father or how BIG God is and this causes them to falter and fail.
It is people who fail, not God.
We have to learn how to steward God’s creation in a way that is befitting to Him, with respect, responsibility and righteousness, asking, seeking and knocking, and everything will be given to us, exactly as promised.
The Power of Coming Together
I am reminded of the charity song We Are The World, recorded by the supergroup USA for Africa in 1985, written by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie.
With sales in excess of 20 million physical copies, it is the eighth-best-selling single of all time, meant to raise money for the 1983-1985 famine in Ethiopia.
We Are The World was certified quadruple platinum, becoming the first single to be certified multi-platinum, winning multiple awards include four Grammy’s, one American Music Award and a People’s Choice Award.
It was promoted in various forms with merchandise, all of which combined to raise more than $80 million (equivalent to $229 million in 2024) for humanitarian aid in Africa and the United States.
We are deeply interconnected, yet more disconnected than ever before, and each and every one of us is needed to contribute towards shaping the world into a place of love, comfort and safety for all, and together, we have phenomenal power.
Love Is All We Need
The lyrics of this song are profound, leaving a deep imprint on where we are as a world, where we need to be and how to get there.
There comes a time when we heed a certain call, when the world must come together as one.
There are people (and animals) dying and it's time to lend a hand to life, the greatest gift of all.
We can't go on pretending day by day, that someone, somehow will soon make a change.
We are all a part of God's great big family and the truth, you know, love is all we need.
We Are The Ones
We are the world, we are the children.
We are the ones who make a brighter day, so lets start giving.
There's a choice we're making, by helping those in need we are saving our own lives, and this simple act of reciprocity will one day be returned to us ten-fold.
If you want to experience a better day, start with making someone else’s day better, and in doing so, you too will be touched.
The only way we can uplift ourselves is by raising others, let us begin now, one single act of kindness at a time.
Send Them Your Heart
The lyrics continue, deepening, softening and opening us to a place of pure potentiality, purpose and pastoral care.
Send them your heart, so they'll know that someone cares, and their lives will be stronger and free.
As God has shown us by turning stones to bread, so we all must lend a helping hand.
The animals need us, they are sitting in shelters scared and alone, wasting away and facing certain death if we don’t act quickly enough.
We need to not only send them our heart, but show them our heart, give them our heart and actively involve it.
Standing Together As One
When you're down and out, there seems no hope at all, but if you just believe there's no way we can fall.
Let us realise that a change can only come, when we stand together as one, combining faith and action in a way that causes mountains to move, chains to break and walls to fall.
And this is how, together, we can save them all.
Stand up, move and cause the flapping wings of a butterfly in one part of the world, to transform those in another, by the simple act of your presence, your being and your calling into being that which would not exist without you.
You are more beautiful than you know and more powerful that you realise, it’s time to step into that power and allow yourself to be touched, transformed and transfigured into the radiant light that you are, taking others with us as we go.
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