I throw a pebble in the pond – Just a small one;
But its ripples extend far and wide.
I never would have guessed that such a tiny stone
Could affect so very much, on every side.
And so it is with all the many choices
That you and I make, each and every day:
With all the things we do, or we do not do;
With all the things we say, or do not say.
Oh, the ripples of our lives can travel far and wide,
And their impact can extend on and on;
And you never really know how far its path will go
When you start a tiny ripple in the pond.
Everything we do that we should not do,
Everything we don’t do that we should,
Leads to consequences that we can’t control
For us, and for others, bad or good.
But every act of kindness carries power,
Though we might not see it at the time,
With an impact that remains long past the hour:
For in a darkening world,
How bright one light may shine!
Oh, the ripples of our lives can travel far and wide,
And their impact can extend on and on;
And you never really know how far its path will go
When you start a tiny ripple in the pond.
Every day we choose whom we will follow :
The Destroyer or the Healer of mankind.
Our words and our actions can tear others down,
Or can strengthen, lift up and edify.
Every day we set in endless motion
Countless ripples by the things we say and do.
The world becomes a crueler or a kinder place,
Depending on the daily choices of me and you.
Oh, the ripples of our lives can travel far and wide,
And their impact can extend on and on;
And you never really know how far its path will go…
When you start a tiny ripple…
In the pond.
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Written July 10, 2001, for 3rd Ward Girls Camp
Sandy East Stake
