Walking along the beach I stopped to pick up a stray candy bar wrapper.

‘Why are you doing that?’ a young person asked,

‘Because it shouldn’t be here, it should be in the garbage can.’

‘But there’s other trash out here, you can’t pick it all up, just leave it.’

And the temptation to stand by and do nothing once again rears its ugly head.

From litter to politics to gun violence, the nagging temptation is always the same, isn’t it? 

’Speaking up doesn’t do anything.’

‘It’s not your responsibility’

‘You’re too busy with other things’

‘You won’t make a difference.’

Yet we know it does...

Not right away.

Not all at once.

But doing that next right thing, however small, however seemingly insignificant, has a cumulative effect that has and will change things.

Progress doesn't come all at once.

It comes when a whole lot of people do very little things.

Whatever you’re facing as you read this, take courage and do the next right thing.

It’s always hard.

Rarely convenient, comfy, or fun.

But it can change things.

It’s the only thing that ever has.