03 Sep A Drop in the Bucket?

In the middle of the night, on an airplane halfway across the Atlantic, David Van Gilst found himself journaling:

“Day 2 on our trip to the Ukrainian border. I keep asking myself why I am making this trip halfway around the world and my answer always comes up the same. If my home, daycare, church, schools, and hospital were bombed, and I had nowhere to go, I would want someone to help me, to help me with shelter, food and life-saving medications.

“I had an acquaintance tell me before I left that what I was doing was only a drop in the bucket in helping the Ukrainians. I thought about what this person said, and thought, yeah, this person is right. But if I was the person receiving that drop, it would be life-saving to me and my family.

“So I choose to bring that drop in the bucket to probably several hundred people. I know that it will mean something to the Ukrainians that receive our help. Also I know this is important to God that we help those in need.” (David Van Gilst, First Baptist Church of Malvern, Arkansas)

David had a different perspective. If we only look through our lenses and not those of the people of Ukraine, we may be tempted to think, “How can I possibly make any difference?” For a country with a population of 39,701,739 and 6.5 million displaced persons, an impact of only 400 people surely does feel like a drop in the bucket. But the lens expands when we pull together with others to make any kind of a difference.

In the Book of Acts, on several occasions, the apostles and other followers came together and shared their food, belongings, and testimonies. From these times came financial provision for others, signs, wonders, and salvations. They were all provided for. It wasn’t only one person who gave, nor only one type of provision. Yet together, the provision was enough.

When we do it all together, each “drop” matters.

What can you bring to the bucket? Prayer? Medications? Finances? Your presence? Only you can determine what your drop in the bucket will be.