Week 7. Term 4. 2021. Unbelievable.
Unbelievable the pace within which we live. Unbelievable how fast time passes us by. Unbelievable how much our children grow so quickly. Unbelievable what we miss. Unbelievable that I grew up watching movies that were set in future years that I now live in!
It probably shouldn’t be unbelievable. The evidence is right before my eyes, and it keeps on coming. Regardless, I often feel that sense of time passing by so quickly that so much is out of my control or has happened before I knew it and I wish it could have been different.
The problem with the hurry and hustle of life is that I often look back and wish I had the time to have done it better, to have thought about it more, or slowed down and valued what I had. I feel like I miss opportunities and moments that could have been excellent because of the life that happens around me.
One of the songs of David written long ago describes God’s power over circumstances, specifically in this Psalm it is nature, attackers and war. He finishes the song with a command to be still and see how big God is. It is as if he is proposing this as His solution to the chaos. As is by doing this the uncertainty, difficulty, regrets and fears find their place.
It is true though, I think. Whether we believe in God or not, it is often in the moments when we are still that a clarity begins to emerge, and we regain a sense of purpose and clarity. For David, understanding the grandeur of God seemed to put everything into perspective and enabled him to then go and make the most of each opportunity.
It is so important for us to be still. To take stock of what is going on around us and to put it into perspective, so we don’t find ourselves constantly looking in a rear-view mirror thinking about what has just passed us. Being still also enables us dwell on what is important, reminding us of the why so that we can make the most of the what.
As a school we must do this too. Schools are always busy, fast paced places with plenty of challenges, and it is not a bad thing! Look at all our students have got to do this week alone! The high school’s integrated project is amazing. The orientations for Kindy and Pre-Kindy have been great. The HSC exams are going very well, and the primary are enjoying the extra dance lessons as catch up. I am even getting to enjoy our student’s awesome cooking (thank you for my share students!). However, it is critical for us to be still and remember our why for all this.
Christian schooling’s ultimate purpose must continue to depart from the old model that seeks to produce a standardised product to fulfill societal necessities. Instead, it must provide unique, relevant and rigorous educational opportunities for students to develop their sense of identity, purpose and hope that enables them to flourish in accordance with their created purpose. It is in this environment that a student’s story can legitimately contribute to God’s grand narrative and the growth and flourishing of their world.
It is vital that we don’t let the busy control our perspective. We must take time to be still and enable right perspectives to govern our use of time so that we don’t end up living in the future before we know it!
It is my prayer that this next season is not lost to the busy, but is enjoyed via the still.
Good Tidings!
Jonno