“So what do I do now?” That’s the common question I hear from people who have read my book. Maybe that describes you? You’re motivated; you’re convicted—but you’re not sure what to do next.

One way to figure it out, as I suggest in my book, is to look at what you might have to offer in three areas: time, talent, or treasure. In God’s plan, none of these trumps the other—they’re all necessary for helping the poor. Remember, everyone has something to offer.

And then what? Well, here’s some inspiration I found in the media just this past week:

Time: Instead of spending his Thanksgiving leave with his family, Matthew Purkey, a Marine in North Carolina, plans to live among the homeless. Not only that, he’s hoping to raise $2,400—$25 for each of his 96 hours—for a local shelter.

Talent: Right here in Seattle, Rasmus Rasmussen, a professional photographer originally from Denmark, spent a day shooting free headshots for unemployed people to use in job-hunting.

Treasure: A piece in The New York Times highlighted Women Moving Millions, an effort by female philanthropists to improve the lives of women and girls around the world. They’ve raised $180 million so far!

I’m sure there were countless more people pouring out their time, talent, or treasure this week who didn’t make the news. You might have been among them. If not, next week, make a promise to yourself to try some action, however small, to help someone in need. This could lead you to your piece of “God’s great puzzle”—and you just might change the world.

I was 10, shrinking under the covers at my parents’ heated argument in the kitchen. My father had come home drunk again. I suddenly felt that I was the only one I could rely on. And slowly I realized I had one way out: school. My parents were dropouts. But I would excel. I would make something of myself.

Now, as a parent, I’ve seen all five of our children graduate and go on to college. Our youngest, Grace, will be a freshman this fall.

In Zimbabwe, Ayanda, 12, dreamed of being a schoolteacher. But his mother, Rilato, a widow caring for four children and four grandchildren, didn’t have the money to send any of them to school. Neighbors donated enough to send one child. Rilato chose 9-year-old Sibongokuhle. “Because of the drought, I must make difficult decisions,” Rilato said.

Parents shouldn’t have to make these decisions. Children shouldn’t have to bear these burdens. In sub-Saharan Africa, just 71 percent of children of primary-school age are in school. Only 25 percent go on to secondary school.

The poorer the household, the less likely they are to be in school. And that creates a vicious cycle dooming another generation to poverty.

Back-to-school season in the U.S. means aisles of school supplies and fall clothes. But in the developing world, it means parents and children devastated that school is out of their reach.

I am grateful that education was my escape from a difficult childhood. As you prepare your own children to head back to school, take time to pray with them for Ayanda and the millions of children around the world who cannot go to school. Lift up a prayer that doors will open for these boys and girls to get an education. And every day as your children head off to school, breathe a prayer of thanksgiving for the gift of education.

One of my favorite children’s books is Horton Hears a Who! by Dr. Seuss. All five of the Stearns kids took a turn hearing the story of an elephant who comes to the aid of the “Whos,” a microscopic community of beings he can’t even see. Despite ridicule and torment from others in the jungle, Horton courageously defends the Whos, believing “a person’s a person, no matter how small.”

I think about how Horton’s Whos are like the poor in our world. They can be right under our nose, but we don’t see them—or, like the jungle animals in the story, we deny their existence. To societies like ours that value wealth, fame, power, and job titles, these “invisible” people simply don’t count.

God asks more of us. He asks us to be Hortons for children, marginalized communities, homeless people. He asks us to do what Horton did: acknowledge people’s inherent value and do what we can to help them.

To the world, this might not look like a great accomplishment. But as Mother Teresa said, “We can do no great things, only small things with great love.” Just as a person’s a person, no matter how small, a person’s small action—done in the name of Christ—has great significance in the kingdom of God.

Who are the Whos in your community? Prayerfully consider if God is calling you to Horton duty—to advocate for them or help them. You might not need to save people from total extinction as Horton did; it’ll probably be a lot simpler than that. But remember that even the small things you do for the “least of these” bring joy to God’s heart.

Anthony joined a gang at 13. Brittnee was often homeless as a child. Some of the other young people spent their childhoods in abusive homes. But—amazingly—each has transformed these stumbling blocks into stepping stones.

Last month, World Vision brought Anthony, Brittnee, and more than 100 young Americans from distressed urban and rural communities to Washington, D.C., for the annual Youth Empowerment Summit.

The youth delivered personal, passionate pleas to their congressmen to support the Youth PROMISE Act violence prevention legislation currently before Congress. They asked pointed questions of Joshua Dubois, director of the White House Office for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships. And they learned what I wish I knew at their age—that they can influence change.

Their actions are a challenge to each of us. Do you believe you can influence change—from the halls of Congress to the huts of Africa?

Next Wednesday, August 12, is International Youth Day. What can you do to encourage our young people—here and around the world—who are growing up in tumultuous times?

1. Pray that God would heal the wounds of children around the world, so that their stumbling blocks become stepping stones to a better world.
2. Tell your congressman to support the Youth PROMISE Act to address youth violence.
3. Make a personal investment in a child’s life—in your own city or around the world. Sponsor a child through World Vision.