Chaplain's Corner

I was in the florist this week buying a bunch of flowers for a friend, when I met a lovely elderly man. He was ordering a wreath for Anzac Day. He carefully took the time to individually choose the colours and types of flowers, each one held a special reason for why he chose it. After he had ordered I told him that I admired his choices, and that I was sure the wreath was going to look beautiful. He thanked me and then said something that has stuck with me all week. He said... “I don’t have a lot of money, but neither does my friend who this is for. It’s an important day for him. He has lost so much in his life, and this is just a small thing that I can do for him. It might not change the world, but it will brighten his.” What a statement. It reminded me of a story I once heard...

Once upon a time, there was an old man who used to go to the ocean to do his writing. He had a habit of walking on the beach every morning before he began his work. Early one morning, he was walking along the shore after a big storm had passed and found the vast beach littered with starfish as far as the eye could see, stretching in both directions. 

Off in the distance, the old man noticed a small boy approaching.  As the boy walked, he paused every so often and as he grew closer, the man could see that he was occasionally bending down to pick up an object and throw it into the sea.  The boy came closer still and the man called out, “Good morning!  May I ask what it is that you are doing?”

The young boy paused, looked up, and replied “Throwing starfish into the ocean. The tide has washed them up onto the beach and they can’t return to the sea by themselves,” the youth replied. “When the sun gets high, they will die, unless I throw them back into the water.” The old man replied, “But there must be tens of thousands of starfish on this beach. I’m afraid you won’t really be able to make much of a difference.” 

The boy bent down, picked up yet another starfish and threw it as far as he could into the ocean. Then he turned, smiled and said, “It made a difference to that one!”

Small acts can make a big difference. History is full of stories of how one small act can transform lives, or even save them! A young Lance Corporal, William Charles Scurry, once held a small tin can in his hand, when he had an idea. That small idea pushed him to invent a delayed action rifle, or drip rifle, that would allow soldiers to creep away without raising the suspicion of the Turkish enemy. More than 10,000 Anzacs had already died before their final evacuation order came, and many more would have died during the operation but for this simple invention. By dawn on the morning of December 20, 1915, all the remaining Anzacs were gone. And thanks to Scurry’s small idea, not a single one of them were killed.

Never underestimate the power of a small act. It might not seem like much, but buying that bunch of flowers, writing that card, or even the offer of a cup of coffee, can make a big difference... and maybe brighten someone’s world.

Carly Cassidy - Chaplain

Available at BPS Thursday’s and Friday‘s

carly.cassidy@education.vic.gov.au

0438319064