Chaplain

Resilience, perseverance and grit all are qualities we need as we face the various situations in our lives. Yet they are hard to teach and hard to learn. Much like overcoming fear, these are developed by going though difficulties.

I remember when the Redlands Learning Hub was being constructed. At the beginning many of us thought it would be a difficult time. However, as we progressed, I noticed something about our students; they became much more able to cope with last-minute room changes or a lesson in the Hall or no access to a particular building. I noticed that they became better at being on top of their daily changing schedule and ‘going with the flow’. Complaints dwindled and students got on with the day. They had developed resilience.

I have been reflecting on resilience and the opportunities lockdown has brought for our students. Not for a minute am I saying it is an easy time, but students are growing in their self-management skills. As they negotiate the challenge of following the timetable, engaging when the zoom is glitching and completing learning tasks even if they are challenging, all contribute to strengthening our students. These all begin to build that muscle of resilience. Students adjust as they discover it is another week and another week in lockdown and so rather than giving up, with the right support, they persevere and build their resilience.

Home becomes the primary place of learning and so the desk space which was previously for “home-learning” expands in their minds to the place of learning. This is a great asset as they develop patterns of study with the framework of timetable. This is what later years of studying at school and university requires: self-management of their learning with their own study plan.

This is similar to what James wrote in his letter in the first century and holds true for all time:

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, ³ because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. ⁴ Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” (James 1:2-4)

James was talking about the trials the first century Christians faced because of their faith (censure, arrest, loss of property, even death) but the principle is the same. Maturity and perseverance come from facing difficulties. I think James gives us another insight for facing lockdown as well. The attitude we face it with: ‘consider it pure joy’. This is a hint that as we face this and any difficulty, we can choose to see it as an opportunity to grow, an opportunity to discover more of ourselves, and an opportunity to trust God and learn more of him. Approaching this time with an attitude of joy, seeing the opportunities, will build our resilience and help our wellbeing too.

Let me encourage you to see the hidden gems of this time for our own and our students’ development.

God Bless

Ms Bronwyn Lihou
Senior Campus Chaplain
blihou@redlands.nsw.edu.au
9909 3133

Ms Fiona McKenzie
Junior Campus Chaplain
fmckenzie@redlands.nsw.edu.au
9953 6022