Poppy the Penguin Finds Her Purpose
By Bill Conley
America’s Favorite Children’s Storyteller
Moral
of the Story:
Every person is created with a
purpose placed within their heart by God. Even when it seems small, your
purpose can make a very big difference. When you use your gifts to help others,
your purpose begins to grow. You do not need to do everything in life, only the
things you were made to do. Even the tiniest act of kindness can ripple through
the world in powerful ways. Each of us shines in our own time, in our own way,
just as God intended. You are special, unique, and designed for something only
you can do.
On a bright, snowy morning near the
shimmering shores of Crystal Bay, a young penguin named Poppy sat on a cold
rock and watched the others play. The icy air sparkled as the sun touched the
frozen waves, and the sound of laughter echoed across the snow. Everywhere she
looked, penguins were sliding, swimming, and spinning with joy.
Poppy sighed quietly. “I wish I
could be like them,” she whispered.
Her best friend, Tilly the Turtle,
poked her head out of her shell. “Like who, Poppy?” she asked kindly.
“Like everyone else,” Poppy said.
“Finn can swim faster than anyone. Penny can slide so far that she almost reaches
the water. Even Milo makes everyone laugh with his funny stories. But me? I am
just… me.”
Tilly smiled with patient eyes.
“Being you might be your greatest gift, Poppy.”
Poppy tilted her head. “How can that
be special? I cannot swim the best, or slide the farthest, or sing the loudest.”
Tilly looked out over the sparkling
bay. “Sometimes we do not see our gifts right away. They are already inside us,
waiting for the right moment to be discovered.”
Poppy wanted to believe her, but she
wasn’t sure. The Winter Festival was only one day away, and every penguin was
busy preparing to show their talents. Poppy decided she would try everything
until she found something she was good at.
She waddled toward the water and
dove in. The icy chill rushed over her feathers as she kicked her little feet.
Finn zoomed past her like a rocket, sending up a wave that splashed her in the
face. Poppy tried to keep up, but her flippers were small and she soon grew
tired. She climbed out, shivering.
“Maybe sliding is my thing,” she
said, shaking off the snow.
She climbed to the top of a hill
where a few penguins were practicing. “Ready, set, go!” someone shouted. Poppy
pushed off and began to slide, but halfway down she rolled sideways, tumbled
over herself, and landed headfirst in a snowbank. Snow puffed into the air
around her like a cloud.
The others laughed kindly. “Nice
try, Poppy!”
She smiled weakly, brushing snow off
her face. “Maybe singing,” she said. She waddled to a small group gathered near
a frozen pond where the singers were warming up. She took a deep breath and
tried to sing, “La, la, la—squeeeek!” Her tiny voice cracked so high that even
a nearby seal blinked in surprise.
The penguins giggled softly, but
Poppy’s heart sank. She wandered away and sat alone near the edge of the ice,
watching the sun begin to set in pink and gold colors across the bay.
“I do not belong anywhere,” she
whispered. “I cannot swim, I cannot slide, I cannot sing. Maybe I was not meant
to have a purpose.”
Tilly waddled beside her and placed
a flipper on her shoulder. “Poppy, do not give up. Everyone has a purpose.
Sometimes you find it when you least expect it.”
But Poppy didn’t answer. Her eyes
were fixed on the horizon.
Suddenly, a faint cry echoed through
the air. “Help! Somebody help me!”
Poppy’s head snapped up. “Did you
hear that?”
Tilly nodded. “It came from the ice
caves!”
Without thinking, Poppy jumped to
her feet and ran toward the sound. Her little feet moved quickly over the snow
as her heart pounded in her chest. When she reached the cave, she saw Baby Pip,
the youngest penguin in the colony, trapped between two tall walls of ice.
“Hold on, Pip!” Poppy shouted.
Mama Penguin and Papa Penguin were
already there, trying to help, but the space was far too small for them to
squeeze through.
“I am small enough to fit,” Poppy
said bravely.
“Be careful,” Mama Penguin warned,
her voice trembling.
Poppy took a deep breath and pressed
into the narrow opening. The icy walls felt cold against her feathers, and she
could barely move her wings. But she kept going, inch by inch, until she
reached Pip. His eyes were wide with fear.
“It’s okay,” Poppy said softly. “I’m
here to help you.”
She wrapped her tiny flippers around
him and gently pulled him backward. Slowly, carefully, they slid out together
until they were free. The moment they tumbled into the snow, the crowd of
penguins erupted in cheers.
Mama Penguin hugged her baby
tightly. “Poppy, you saved Pip! How can we ever thank you?”
Poppy blushed. “I just did what I
could.”
Papa Penguin smiled warmly. “That is
exactly what makes you special, Poppy. You helped when no one else could. That
is your purpose.”
For the first time, Poppy felt a
light glowing inside her heart. She looked around at the smiling faces and
realized that being small was not a weakness. It was the very thing that
allowed her to do something great.
That evening, the Winter Festival
began beneath the shimmering northern lights. Penguins danced and sang, and the
air was filled with laughter and music. But when the leader announced the
“Penguin of the Year,” everyone cheered as Poppy’s name was called.
She waddled to the front, her heart
pounding with joy. “I did not win for sliding or singing,” she said shyly. “I
just did what I was able to do. And that is enough.”
The crowd cheered again, louder this
time. Tilly smiled from the front row. “See, Poppy? I told you. You just needed
the right moment to let your light shine.”
Poppy smiled as she looked up at the
dancing lights above the ice. “I do not need to be like anyone else,” she said
softly. “I only need to be the penguin God made me to be.”
From that day forward, whenever
someone in the colony felt lost or unsure of their gifts, they would remember
Poppy and say, “Purpose doesn’t have to be big. Sometimes it just needs a
little heart and a lot of love.”
And deep inside, Poppy knew she had
found hers.
Poem:
You do not need wings to reach the
sky.
Or to be the best at all you try.
Your purpose lives within your heart.
A shining gift, a work of art.
Be kind, be brave, and just be true.
There is only one amazing you.
When you help and care and share your love,
You live your true purpose from heaven above.
Questions
for Discussion:
1.
Why did Poppy believe she was not
special at first?
2.
What did Poppy learn about helping
others and finding purpose?
3.
What makes you special and different
from everyone else?
No comments:
Post a Comment