It was a gorgeous day and Grandma Willow decided to take Tilly on a long walk to admire the scenery. They passed by a lake that had a great view of the river and eventually came upon an abandoned park. It was littered with trash all over and was indeed a sorry sight.
At the end of the day, Tilly was puzzled by what she had saw and turned to her grandma. “Meemaw, what happened to that old park that we walked past? How come it’s so dirty and no one goes there anymore? It just looks so… sad.“
Her meemaw looked at her with a gentle smile and said, “that used to be a beautiful park many years ago. Grandpa and I spent quite a few lovely evenings there, but sadly people starting littering there and nobody wanted to maintain it. If only people were more responsible. It’s a real shame.“
After several minutes in deep thought, Tilly suddenly beamed with a sparkle in her eyes like she was dreaming of something extraordinary only she could see.
“Grandma, I’ve decided that I’m going to make the park beautiful again!” Tilly announced. “But what should I do to start?”
“That sounds great little Tilly, but you know, it’s going to take us a long while just to get it cleaned.” Grandma cautioned gently, but didn’t want to break her spirit. “We can start tomorrow by clearing whatever trash we find.”
The next day Tilly and Grandma Willow began arduous journey before them. To be honest, her grandma had expected her to give up before the day was over.
It was much harder work then Tilly had imagined, but she held her dream in front of her and pushed on. Several people looked upon them from afar, some of them even smirking in disbelief.
On the fifth day, Tilly had run all out of steam. She was tired and whilst her efforts did bear fruit, there was still so much trash around the park. She slumped to the ground in defeat, tears welling up in her eyes.
That was when a hand reached out in front of her. Tilly gazed up to see a smiling villager offering her his hand and cool drink.
Inspired by Tilly’s dedication, people from all over the village began to contribute. Some planted flowers, others painted benches, and children helped by picking up litter. After several weeks, the once desolate park was coming to life again.
Together they revived the heart of their community, turning the old park into a vibrant hub for gatherings and play. Through this journey, Tilly and her fellow villagers learned that even the most daunting challenges can be overcome with steady, collective efforts, turning dreams into reality through unity and persistence.
“Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.”
– 1 John 3:18
The man who moves a mountain starts first by carrying small stones. This short story actually reminds me of another I had heard before. It’s actually a true story of a man who moved an actual mountain.
Dashrath Manjhi was a labourer in a remote village in India who had a simple wish – to clear the mountain so that his village could have access to schools, hospitals, jobs and improve their quality of life. For 22 years he single-handedly created a passageway through the mountain with only a hammer and chisel. He eventually accomplished the feat in 1982 though sheer will and determination.
Tilly’s tale is not merely a feel-good story of restoring the heart of their village. More importantly, it symbolizes the profound spiritual renewal that we, as individuals and communities, can achieve through faith, hope, and collective effort.
Be the Change You Wish to See
Never underestimate the power of a vision – a goal so powerful that it can change the world around you as you know it. But vision and dreams are pointless in the absence of action. The first step is always the most daunting, with the strongest inertia.
The Devil’s temptation is the strongest at the point of beginning every great plan or goal in our lives. For he knows that’s where we are the most vulnerable and prone to excuses, laziness and fear of failure even before we start! When we take action towards our dreams & aspirations, we are overcoming this temptation and placing our faith in the Lord!
What Tilly did in this story is the true manifestation of faith. You see as children of God, our faith cannot simply be theory or reside only within our hearts. Faith is believing in God’s plan AND taking action to see it come to life.
The fruits of our persistence often do not come quickly or easily, but is born through steadfast faith, determination and inspired action. Tilly’s story culminates in a celebration of the human spirit’s capacity to enact change and the profound impact of enduring through doubt and difficulty.
