You say, you can’t change the world? Oh, YES you can!

In 1913 A 20 year old man took a walking tour in the Provence in Southern France!

It Was A Dry & Barren Region The soil had washed away by rain, with no trees to hold it in place due to overcutting & too-intensive agriculture, there was little farming left. Villages were run-down & most of the villagers had gone. Wildlife had fled, as protective undergrowth had thinned, food was scarce, & few streams remained.

On his walking tour… He stopped at the humble cottage of a shepherd in his fifties, still strong and stalwart. The young man enjoyed his kind hospitality, & stayed several days with him.

At night by lamplight… the shepherd spent his evening sorting nuts –acorn, hazelnuts, chestnuts, etc., culling out the bad ones, & putting the good nuts in a knapsack.

The next day, he took his sheep out grazing…

The shepherd would take his staff… walk several paces, and thrust the end of the staff into the ground, making a small hole. Then he’d drop in one of his nuts, using his foot to cover it over with earth. Then he would walk several paces more, push his staff into the dry ground again, and drop in another nut.

Thus he’d spend all his daylight hours, walking all over this region of Provence, as he grazed his sheep, each day covering a different area where there were few trees, planting nuts. Watching this, the young man wondered what in the world this shepherd was trying to do, and he finally asked him:

“What are you doing sir?” “Well, young man,” the shepherd replied, “That’s obvious! I'm planting trees.”

“But why?” The young visitor asked. “It will be years and years before these trees ever get to where they could do you any good! You might not even live long enough to see them grow!”

The Shepherd replied… “Yes, but some day they'll do somebody some good and they'll help to restore this dry land. I may never see it, but perhaps my children will.”

The young man marveled at the shepherd… At his foresight, vision, and unselfishness, that he was willing, to prepare the land for future generations, even though he might never see the results or reap the benefit himself.

Twenty years later! When in his forties, the hiker once again visited this same area, he was astounded at what he saw.

A new Forest had sprung up! One great valley was completely covered with a beautiful natural forest of all kinds of trees. They were young tress, of course, but tress nevertheless. Life had spring forth all over the valley!

The grass was much greener. The shrubbery an the wildlife had returned, the soil was moist again, and the farmers were again cultivating their crops.

He wondered what had happened to the old shepherd? To his amazement he found that he was still alive, hale and hearty, still living in his little cottage and still sorting his nuts each evening.

A Well Deserved Pension! The visitor then learned that a delegation from the French Parliament had come from Paris recently to see this new forest of tress, which to them looked like a miraculous new natural forest. They learned that it had, over the years, been planted by this one shepherd, who day by day as he was watching his sheep, diligently planted nuts. As a result the whole valley was covered with beautiful young tress and underbrush. The delegation was so impressed and grateful to this shepherd for having reforested this entire area single-handedly, that they persuaded Parliament to give him a special pension.

Jesus can help you change your spirit, your heart & your mind Jesus can help you change your spirit, your heart & your mind! He likes to come into your heart! Just say: Dear Jesus! I want to change! Help me to change, and come into my heart & spirit, and save me! Give me eternal life! In Jesus Name I pray! Amen! PLEASE PASS THIS ON TO OTHERS For more powerpoints visit www.powerpointparadise.com/

You can’t change the world? Oh, yes, you can! Epilogue You can’t change the world? Oh, yes, you can! My dear friends, if you have changed one life, you have changed a part of the world and have proved that it can be done. Oh, you say you can’t change the world? It’s too late, too bad, too big and too hard? Well, just try changing your part of it! Change your heart, your mind, your spirit, your life. Change not only your life but hose of your own family! You’ll them have a new home, a new family filled with the truth and love of God! Don’t ever say, “What’s the use, I can’t do anything, who am I?” Let me tell you, begin today and change your world and the world of those around you. Like Johnny Appleseed, who would plant an apple core when he finished eating the apple and from there grew apples all over New England and they are still there today being enjoyed by hundreds. You can’t change the world? Oh, yes, you can!