Life’s Journey
This week the Senior School is looking to the future!
Our Year 12s visited the University Showcase last Friday to explore possibilities after graduation. Eight universities and other tertiary institutions were present and gave interesting talks on life beyond school. One speaker weighed up the positives and negatives of living at home compared to living independently. Another looked at the cost of further studies and a third talked about the whole application process through QTAC.
Next week our Year 10s will be heading out to do work experience, which we hope will give them a taste of what lies ahead. Our Year 11s will be doing a leadership training camp that will challenge and motivate them to become outstanding College leaders in 2014.
Whilst it is important to look forward, I get great satisfaction looking at the past and seeing the life-journey God has taken me on. This week we had our Secondary photographs and it made me reflect on how quickly students grow up! As I looked at these young men and women all dressed in their formal uniforms I couldn’t help but contrast them with the younger children who are just starting their education at GCCC. My own son turns 21 next week and we have been busy sorting through all those saved photos to find the best ones that show his journey through life. Of course we have included the baby photos, his first steps, the award ceremony where he got “best-and-fairest” and all the other milestones. As parents we all cherish those moments. But then there are the tough times too.
I’m sure you are aware of the famous poem “Footprints in the Sand“, the inspirational piece written by Mary Stevenson during the Great Depression. It illustrates God’s amazing love and how he carries us through those tough times. Personally, I prefer this poem titled “Buttprints in the Sand”. It has a great message at the end, that’s relevant for all of us.
One night I had a wondrous dream,
One set of footprints there was seen,
The footprints of my precious Lord,
But mine were not along the shore.
But then some stranger prints appeared.
And I asked the Lord, “What have we here?
Those prints are large and round and neat,
But Lord, they are too big for feet.”
“My child,” He said in sombre tones,
“For miles I carried you alone.
I challenged you to walk in faith,
But you refused and made me wait.”
“You disobeyed, you would not grow,
The walk of faith you would not know.
So I got tired, I got fed up,
And there I dropped you on your butt.”
Because in life there comes a time
When one must fight, and one must climb,
When one must rise and take a stand,
Or leave their butt prints in the sand.”
Pray for our students and staff this week as they enter the very busy assessment and reporting period. Let’s help them stand strong.
David Heyworth, Head of Senior School