In a quiet town where the leaves turned gold each March, there lived a street artist named Eli.
Each morning, he chalked vivid pictures on the footpath—dragons, angels, wildflowers—only for them to wash away with the rain. Some called it pointless. But Eli didn’t mind.
One day, a child watched him draw a phoenix. She frowned. “Why bother making something beautiful if it just disappears?”
Eli smiled, then reached into his pocket and pulled out a crumpled, muddy coin. “Want this?” he asked.
The child hesitated. “It’s dirty.”
“But what’s it worth?”
“Still a dollar.”
“Exactly,” he said. “Even after being dropped, stepped on, and forgotten, it hasn’t lost its value.”
He paused.
“People are like that. So is beauty. Even when it fades—or is forgotten by others—it doesn’t lose its worth.”
The child held the coin, eyes wide.
Just then, a gust of wind blew the chalk phoenix away.
Eli smiled. “It’s okay,” he said. “Autumn teaches us that even letting go can be beautiful.”
Years later, that child—now grown—carried a coin in her wallet and chalk in her bag.
And whenever someone felt broken, she’d kneel, draw wings on the ground, and whisper:
“You’re still worthy.”
audio version:
Service Reflection
Key Theme: Your Worth Is Inherent – Embrace the Beauty of Change, Love Without Condition, and Be Gentle With Yourself
This beautifully layered service offers three core spiritual insights:
- You are worthy—always. Just like the crumpled $20 note, no matter what life has done to you, your value remains unchanged. Your soul is still radiant, sacred, and irreplaceable.
- Love must begin within. So many of us are quick to nurture others but slow to give ourselves that same kindness. True spiritual maturity includes extending love inward—without condition.
- Change is beautiful and natural. As autumn teaches, the cycles of life bring rest, release, and renewal. Letting go doesn’t mean loss—it means space for what’s next to grow.
In essence: You are already enough. Let love begin with you. And honour the beauty of change, knowing your soul remains forever whole.
