Recently, I got into the car with my son and noticed a large spider on the windscreen. Thankfully, it was on the outside, and once we started driving, it quickly scurried away. We weren’t too concerned, but it sparked an interesting conversation.
We talked about how, for some people, that same situation would feel quite frightening… especially once the spider disappeared!
Because that’s when your imagination can take over.
Is it still out there?
Did it get inside?
Where is it now?
At school, students are confronted with many situations that can spark nerves or even fear. These can range from exam stress, apprehension about camps or school events or social anxiety. As a school, we try to minimise stressful situations, but the reality is that many of these are part of everyone’s school experience. In fact, coping with these circumstances is part of the learning you gain at school.
Like with spiders, sometimes, what we can’t see feels more frightening than what we can.
For example, our seniors recently marked 100 days left of school. The future is approaching quickly for them – exams, decisions, leaving school, stepping into the unknown. And sometimes the fear isn’t about what’s right in front of us, but about what we can’t yet see.
But this is where faith speaks powerfully.
God makes many promises about his presence when we are afraid. In fact, the most common command in the Bible is “do not fear”. Deuteronomy 31:6 says, “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid… for the Lord your God goes with you.” It doesn’t matter if you are looking beyond graduation or just at the next day in Year Two; God walks with us in all circumstances. Corrie ten Boom emphasises this when she says, “Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God.”
It is a privilege to journey with students as they grow in both faith and confidence. My prayer this week is that, whatever you are facing, you would know God’s presence to be greater than your fears.
Todd Langford
