Weekly Update – 12th July

Are you proud?

Yesterday (Thursday) I had the privilege to assist at the Year 6 Reflection Space held in church (I was at the one last week too). If you’ve somehow managed to miss what this is all about, it’s a chance for the Primary School Year 6 classes to bring any worries, jitters, excitement, sadness, dreams (all the emotions) to a safe space, put a name to them, discuss them, take a moment to self-reflect and hopefully reduce any overwhelm they may be feeling about leaving one school and starting another.

You’ll see evidence of this event around the church; footsteps filled with what the children are excited about and looking forward to, clouds full of their dreams for the future and a very shiny trophy surrounded my medals noting their achievements – WOW! Look how far we’ve come.

Margaret and I helped the children with this station, and on paper it sounds like a very easy thing to do – look how far you’ve come from when you started in Year R, to now, ready to leave Year 6 – 7 years of schooling.

As adults, without any knowledge of the child in question, we know that their progress over those 7 years will have been phenomenal. Academically they have learned to read, write, do maths; they’ll have learned history, science, geography, in fact they have learnt so much I need to stop listing because I’ll fill the page.

They’ve learnt to share, how to navigate friendships, to have empathy; their confidence will have grown, many of them are now walking to/from school on their own which means they’ve learnt road safety; the list goes on and on.

But, ask them to write down 3 things, just 3 things they’ve achieved and are proud of in those 7 years, and you’re met with a wall of stunned, blank faces.

And I get it. Saying you’re proud of something you’ve done feels so boastful, it puts us in a place where most of us feel really uncomfortable.

The Bible has much to say about pride, and it’s not good.

Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall (Proverbs 16:18)

But that’s different from stepping back, looking at what you’ve achieved and acknowledging it.

We should be proud of ourselves. We’re created in God’s image, we’re uniquely made with talents and abilities, gifts given by God to us. Life is about growth, and celebrating our progress is a way to feel proud of ourselves. As we journey in faith, it’s both the challenges we face and the achievements we have, that mould us into who we are today. Reflecting on these and the lessons we’ve learned, allows us to see how far we’ve come. By celebrating our journey we’re not only acknowledging our achievements but are also encouraging ourselves (and others) to keep moving forward. Each step, whether big or small, is part of our testimony and a reason to thank God for His presence, guidance and encouragement in our life.

So, are you proud? You should be!

 

Jenny

Churchwarden