IN LITTLE WAYS

Do what you can

I enjoy puzzles — crosswords, jigsaw, whatever. There’s usually a moment when the puzzle seems too hard. I just can’t figure it out. That’s when I recall some advice I heard long ago: “Don’t do what you can’t; do what you can.” I forget trying to solve the whole puzzle. I just work on the one little bit I can. Then I work on another little bit, and slowly the little bits become the whole.

“Do what you can, not what you can’t” is good advice for more than just puzzles. Following this advice can protect us from despair and sloth. It can comfort and encourage us.

For example, I have a clear picture of what good Christians are like. Good Christians pray long, often, and whole-heartedly. They give generously to the poor and needy. They work tirelessly for justice. They are patient, kind and helpful. They treat strangers with courtesy and friends with tenderness.

Because I can’t do any of those things with consistency, I’m tempted to quit trying. What restarts my engine is, “Do what you can.” Okay, I can’t meditate for hours, but I can ask for help in the morning and give thanks at night. I won’t give away all my worldly possessions, but I can respond to the charitable request right in front of me right now. I can’t stop getting angry, but I can leave the room before I say anything cruel. I’ll never be a saint, but I can become a better sinner.

Reading the newspaper tempts me to despair. What can I do, for example, about abortion? Haven’t we already lost this fight? Then I remember what Mother Teresa said: “God does not ask us to succeed. He asks us to try.” What I can do is donate to pro-life organizations, especially right here in Hawaii. I can write my representatives. I can march and sign petitions. I can pray. The outcome is in God’s hands.

Focusing on what we can’t do is a great way to excuse ourselves from doing anything. We see some guy sleeping in his car or a family living in a tent, and we think, “That’s too bad.” Then we move on, just like the priest and the Levite who came before the Good Samaritan. It’s true that Jesus said there will always be poor people in the world. That doesn’t excuse us, though, from trying to help at least a few of them, any more than God’s forgiveness excuses us from trying to be less sinful.

God does not call us to do what we can’t. If all our efforts bring nothing but failure, we may be on the wrong track. My friend “Bob” trained to be a Protestant minister, but he couldn’t find a job. He tried teaching, but he lacked the patience. He went into business and went broke. Then a Christian missionary organization hired him as an administrator. It was the perfect fit. Not only has he found personal satisfaction, but he’s been part of some miraculous experiences in the mission field. When he found what he could do, he also found abundant grace to do it.

I used to fantasize about becoming a nun, usually when my family annoyed me. It wasn’t just escapism, however. Like many, I think of the clergy and religious as a superior brand of Christian. St. Paul, though, told us that the church is like a body. A body needs head, heart, and toes to be perfect. I can’t be the pope or even a pastor. I won’t host a TV show watched by millions. I’ll never find a cure for cancer. With God’s grace, though, I can be a pretty good toe.