I moved countries when I was fourteen years of age, so I know what it is like to feel displaced. I wish I could say that it was an easy transition, on the contrary it wasn’t, as I didn’t understand the language or the Australian culture. One thing that struck me was the Aussie 'humour' of ripping off your mates which took a little bit to get used to.
This was a time in my life that I had to work out who I really was with everything familiar stripped away. When I lost my father shortly after immigrating, I realised years later that his courage to move 5 children across the world is what gave us resilience and opportunities that he did not even get to see. What I have learned from this is that life is what happens to you while you are busy making other plans and to make the moments count instead of waiting and wishing you were somewhere else.
As a young person it is easy to look to all the ‘perks’ of becoming an adult and have this belief that when they get their wheels and a high paying job, they have freedom and life will be good, yet life is greenest where you water it. Naturally we want to fast track the hard times and just get to the highlight reel. Yet, as a well known Christian author John Ortberg states. “Who you become while you’re waiting is as important as what you’re waiting for.”
James Kerr in his book, Legacy, also talks about living for more than just our self. It's important to remember that the actions we take today will have a ripple effect on others and how to plant trees under whose shade we may never get to sit.
Here are some ways we can do that:
As it states in Jeremiah, as Christians we also have the peace that comes from knowing that God can be part of our present and in our tomorrow, whatever it brings.
Mr Jaco Tams
Assistant Head of Secondary
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