This week’s ALIVE value is all about being interdependent - which means recognising that we all rely on each other more than we might think. Every action we take affects someone else in some way. Even the smallest choices can have a ripple effect.

It’s easy to forget how much we depend on other people. From the clothes we wear to the food we eat, there are so many people behind the scenes making our lives easier. And when we forget that, we also forget to be grateful, to appreciate others, or even to think about how our actions affect them. (Remember Mrs. Duzniak’s clip from The Bee Movie last time?)

Let’s break this down with… the example of a potato. Sounds random but stick with me.

Say you go to the shop and buy one potato. Feels pretty independent, right? You walked there, paid for it, carried it home. But that one potato only ended up in your hand because of a huge chain of people and processes. Someone planted it. Someone harvested it. Someone washed, sorted, packaged, and transported it. Someone stocked it on a shelf. Someone built the shop. And someone probably trained the person who served you. That’s a lot of teamwork for one potato!

Image by macrovector on Freepik

It’s a small example, but it shows how we’re all connected — not just as friends or classmates, but as a global community.

The Bible puts it like this:

Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ.^{1 Corinthians 12:12}

Basically, we each have a part to play. No one does it alone. We’re better, stronger, and more human when we work together.

So here are a few things to think about:

1. Am I really aware of how many people help me every day?
2. Who in my life deserves a proper “thank you”?
3. Do I speak up or support people who might not get noticed or treated fairly?
4. Are my choices helping or hurting the people and world around me?

Take a second to think about someone you could appreciate today. Maybe it’s a teacher who always checks in on you. Maybe it’s your bus driver who helps you get to school safely.

You don’t need a grand gesture - even a small thank you can go a long way.

Let’s finish with a prayer,

We thank you Lord for all the people who work hard every day to help others — even when no one sees or says thank you.

Open my eyes to notice those behind the scenes, the ones who quietly make life better for the rest of us.
Help me recognise when someone deserves a “thank you,” and give me the courage to actually say it.

Teach me not just to ask for help, but to be ready to offer it too.
Since we’re all part of one body, one community, one world — help me to be someone others can count on.

We pray this in your name, Amen.

*Main image by jcomp on Freepik