Welcome back students! We have missed seeing you in person – the playground laughter, the friendly smiles and hellos, the chatter in the hallways and classroom, well maybe only some of the classroom chatter. It has been a long, long time and finally we are able to meet again in person. A cause for celebration.
I must admit though, I was fortunate enough to have spent the majority of Term 3 travelling our great continent in a camper-trailer with my wife. At times I felt a bit guilty as I walked around mask-less and free while I knew that the teachers and students were back in Newcastle in a long lockdown of restrictions and on-line learning. However, this feeling did not last long as I was lost in the beauty and richness of some amazing gorges, waterfalls and hot springs. What an amazing and beautiful country!
While travelling across the outback of Australia, and into some remote areas of The Northern Territory and Western Australia, I was very aware of the isolation that could be felt by those that lived there permanently. Food and supplies would be trucked in, yet some services and products were just simply not available, or were a long time in the waiting. There were times when we drove in a straight line for what seemed hundreds of kilometers and times when we didn’t pass another car for an hour or two. Running out of fuel or breaking down was a bit daunting, and although prepared, it was a constant worry when driving into a headwind that chewed through the fuel. Even though we were in some very remote areas of our land, I must admit that I never felt completely alone or isolated. I know that I had my wife and daughter and her husband there with me, but I know that I also had my Heavenly Father watching over us and I could talk to Jesus wherever and whenever. God promises us that He wont leave us, and is there for us, at all times, in every circumstance. There are lots of promises in the Bible that remind us that we are not only noticed by God, but He is watching over us and looking out for us. What a comforting promise to remember!
Psalm 32:8 – I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.
Psalm 121:8 – The Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.