Dear Parents and Caregivers.

I hope that your school break was a blessed one. I’ve had so much fun this week talking with our students and hearing all about the holiday adventures they’ve been up to. Within our precious class time they’ve shared some great stories and sparked insightful conversation. All of which have lead me to share this story that I’m about to share with you.

During the final week of my holiday, I decided to go camping with a group of friends. This was a long-anticipated adventure and the booking had taken priority over so many things that this trip had to happen. We left in the evening after some of my friends had finished work. Arriving at the campsite late, we set our tents up in the dark and in the wet. If you’re a seasoned camper, you’ll understand what tone this set for the camp.

The next day we woke up early and the sky was blue and clear. We set out for our walk. Headed towards a waterfall about 2 hours away. With 10 minutes left of our journey, we looked up and the blue sky had disappeared. Dark grey clouds covered they sky and rain started to pour, getting heavier and heavier. The group agreed that since we were going to get wet anyway, we might as well walk the extra 10 minutes to see the waterfall before heading back to camp. We knew we were close because we could hear the waterfall gushing loud and clear, it must be just around the bend! But laid out before us was a rushing stream. A small torrent of water, not very deep, but given the conditions of they day, proved a challenging obstacle. For a few of our group, it was their first-time camping and hiking. The terror of this obstacle was almost too much for them to overcome. But one of our experienced hikers went first, and tenderly nudged each steppingstone before committing his whole weight to it. There was only one wobbly rock about halfway which proved to be difficult. But with a light-footed skip and a jump, it was manageable. This one wobbly rock might as well have been a mountain for one of our frightened campers. But after some considerable time of encouragement and playthroughs of the scenario in their head, they made the jump and got past the wobbly rock.

All of us made it across the stream, around the bend and found ourselves amongst some of the most beautiful nature one could imagine. The crystal-clear water was tumbling down the glistening rocks, with deep rich green moss carpeting each side. The sounds of singing birds, sights of lush green trees and the mist coming off the waterfall projected a beautiful rainbow above the fall. We were standing amongst some of God’s most beautiful creation.

This week as I’ve relayed this story to the students, I’ve asked them what I’m about to ask you. What wobbly rocks stand between you and God’s paradise?

Toby Ackland