What Can You Do?

Today I am happy to share a guest post with  you.  I love Jimmy’s writing and how he tells a story that not only entertains but teaches as well.  This article puts a different spin on stewardship.  While it made me laugh it is also convicting. I hope you enjoy it!


Origami Boulder
By Jimmy D. Brown

Some of our investments in life are interesting.

One of my good friends made one of these interesting investments after seeing an offer
available at a website.

A vendor online was selling what he described as an “origami boulder” which, by his
own definition, is a piece of “wadded up paper”.

That’s right. This guy takes a sheet of paper, wads it up and sells it as “artwork”… an
“origami boulder”.

Price for this? $10.00.

A ream of paper is worth a cool $5,000 in this artist’s hands.

It gets even better.

For an additional $5.00 the vendor will write an original haiku on the piece of paper
before wadding it up.

And, as if that wasn’t enough, for $29.00 you can get the origami boulder with haiku
AND an attractive bamboo display stand.

No, I’m not making this up.

My friend decided to buy the deluxe version with display and all to place on his desk
as a conversation piece.  Just for the fun of it.

Shortly after my friend’s “artwork” was placed on display, the cleaning lady came by to
straighten things up.  You guessed it – she saw the “artwork, thought it was trash and
tossed it into the garbage.

My friend promptly ordered another boulder to replace the discarded one!

Apparently he wasn’t an artist himself.  Maybe he had no formal training in wadding up
paper.  I’m not sure.  I just know that I’d have sold him an origami boulder for $3.75.

I don’t do haiku (that was an unfortunate rhyme) but I would have thrown in the
following limerick for free:

There once was a man named Deiss
Who ordered some artwork in haste
For he had so much money to waste
That he ended up ordering twice!

Hmmm.  Not bad.  I’m open for business if you’re interested in making a purchase.

On a serious note, what have you and I invested in lately?  How are we using our time,
resources and talents?  Are we investing in things that can be thrown away or things
that will last?

One of the greatest things we can invest in is the life of another.  So often it takes so
little to make a difference.  A word of encouragement.  An act of kindness.  A listening
ear.  A compassionate gesture.  A smile.  An offer of hope. A helping hand.

You don’t have to be an artist to turn someone’s wadded up life into real artwork.  You
don’t have to be a poet to make rhyme from words that would otherwise be void of
anything positive.

You just have to care.

Don’t spend your life investing in “origami boulders” – things that might be thrown
away.  Spend at least a portion of your time and resources on things that matter.
Make this world a better place.  Make a difference in the life of someone in your
pathway that just needs a touch of cheer or compassion.  Make your life count for
something important.

Do you know how to change the world?

One. Person. At. A. Time.

You may not be able to help millions, but you can help the one down the street, across
the office, in the checkout line or around the corner.

Invest in things that will last.

Sooner or later, everything else ends up in the garbage.

Be blessed!
Jimmy

————————–

Jimmy D. Brown is the author of Finish Line Faith:  How To Reach Your Goals and the
founder of iRaize.com.  For just $3 you can purchase a copy of Finish Line Faith with
50% of every sale going to help provide food, shelter and clothing for orphans in
Mexico.  Get all the details at http://www.iRaize.com