Graeme Smith writes…
The Significance of Harry Milligan
The effect of a person who has been significant goes beyond his or her lifetime.
This is a story about being significant.
About 12 years ago a man called Harry Milligan died in Invercargill. There was nothing special about Harry apart for his concern for people. Harry had a strong Christian faith and was often referred to as a “man of prayer.”
The story starts about 35 years ago when Harry, who was in his early 60’s at the time, got along side a man in Invercargill who was an alcoholic. Harry encouraged him to go to Alcoholics Anonymous and spent time talking with him in a local christian coffee shop. One of the things Harry did for this man was to give him a stone and say to him “when people start to criticise you, rather than reacting with aggression, take out the stone and offer it to the person saying I may be at fault in this matter, but would you like to throw the first stone” The man found this story very helpful during his life’s journey.
20 years later a young family moved to Invercargill. At this time Harry, now in his 80’s, was a member of the Baptist Church in the City, where this family also attended. Harry made them feel very welcome. As the years went by and Harry grew older this family would take him meals on wheels as well as fresh fruit and home grown vegetables.
33 years after Harry first spoke to the alcoholic, a young girl in her last year at a Palmerston North High School developed a drug habit. This slowly got worse over a 2-year period. The end result was that at age 18 this girl tried unsuccessfully to end her life by taking an overdose of prescription pills.
Drug Arm got involved and she ended up at their rehab farm at “Shiloh”, which was just out of Feilding. After 4 months of residential support she “graduated” from Shiloh. A graduation ceremony was held and Lew Findlay who was responsible for the establishment of Drug Arm in Palmerston North and also a City Councillor at the time, was the main speaker.
Lew told his story. While he talked he pulled a stone from his pocket and told of a man in Invercargill called Harry Milligan who gave him this stone and saved his life by helping him to overcome his alcohol addiction.
The young girl who was graduating was “blown away” as it was her family that had been befriended by Harry when they had moved to Invercargill all those years before.
A man who she knew when she was 7 or 8 had saved the life of another man before she was born and this man was responsible for the organisation she says saved her life.
Harry never knew what the significance of just “being a friend” would have on the family of an eight-year-old girl, but Ann & I, who are the parents of the girl, certainly do.
TUESDAY 16rdh
Community Worship 11:15am-12noon
Facilitated by Formation PLUS group
Philippians 3:17-21
Speaker: Peter Hart
After Dinner Mints @ lunch
Jock and Cathy Brunskill are the leaders of WEC New Zealand, one of the MissionWorld partners. WEC is focussed on reaching the least reached peoples in the world. In New Zealand, WEC runs EastWest College of Intercultural Studies that offers specific training in cross-cultural evangelism and church planting.
WEDNESDAY 17th
Principal's Call to Prayer
12:40-1:00pm
Charles keenly invites you to join with him and other staff members to pray in regard to the appointment of two new Biblical Study Academics @ Carey. This is an exciting time for us as a college and we must seek God’s leading.
UPCOMING EVENTS
25 October Kiwi Made Preaching
This is Library Week!!
Did you know ?
? Afraid to Ask
Things students should know
..... about Carey Library resources
…It’s all just a click away
You can find a lot of stuff online
* Full text stuff *:
- Key NZ library catalogues
- Baptist resources
- Media clips - showing you how
- Survival guide – telling you how
You can do a lot of stuff on the online catalogue
(especially if you know your username is your student id card number & password is the last 4 digits):
- Reserve books
- Renew books
- Access e-books (see above)
So check out the Carey library web pages – why wouldn’t you?
Morning Tea
Come and join us today for a special morning tea as we celebrate Library Week.
Thanks see you at the morning tea at the Library.
ART WEEK –
.
Thank you to all of you for your contributions to Art Week. We have been very blessed by your contributions, and thank all the artists for sharing it with us. Please collect your art from Shireen’s office sometime this week! There are still some remaining artwork which you may wish to collect from Shireen.
If you would be willing to add your name to a list of those who able to provide occasional peer study support for other students, can you please contact either Julie Osborn (julie.osborn@hotmail.com) or Peter Hart (peter.hart@carey.ac.nz)? This would only be occasional, and shouldn't involve a lot of time – but might, for example, involve helping with understanding an assignment question, or how to structure an essay, or some proof reading. Thanks!
COFFEE!
In the breaks of the morning classes on Mondays and Wednesdays, the Student Association offers coffee at $2/cup. Come join the rest of the students for a good coffee during these times.
CAREY PRAYER CHAIN
We’re keen to offer faithful, daily prayer for students, lecturers and friends/family – please email your requests to carey.prayer@gmail.com or anonymously in Nigel Irwin’s pigeon hole if you wish. And if you’d like to join the prayer-chain, let me (Nigel) know. James 5:16, Phil 4:6