I have been thinking a lot lately about the interplay between anxiety, mental health, resilience and faith. So many young people (and adults) are struggling with these areas. How do we bounce back when there is trauma? How do we help our children walk with trouble rather than run from it?

On Sunday at church, we had a sermon about dealing with disappointment. This was one of those messages that really resonated with me. I get concerned that we sometimes give a story about life to our young people that doesn’t equip them well. We often give our young people the story that life goes something like this: there are hard times, but they will get better and then there will be good times. After my 50+ years on the planet, I am fairly convinced that life is actually good things and bad things of various measures all the time, all intertwined and tangled. And if we try and fix everything for our young people so that they only have good experiences, we are not helping them to flourish!

Let me explain with a short story. My brother passed away from MND in 2017. Now anyone who has had a loved one pass away with that or any similar disease will know that it is a terrible way to end your days, simply awful. However, in the midst of that horrible time, there were still good things to be found. In a strange way, it drew our family closer as we spent time together around my brother’s bedside chatting and keeping him company. My brother was fortunate to have a volunteer write his autobiography down as he talked and through that, I learnt so many stories about him (as he was 20 years older than me) that I would never have known. I also got to witness an incredible act of resilience and strength as my brother carried himself with dignity through the course of his disease when he had every right to not do so, that was so inspiring to me. If I had lived with the understanding that bad things always get better and are replaced by good, I would have missed that even amid such tragedy, God was still at work showing us His goodness. And I probably would’ve just ended up angry and bitter at life and God.

I think in this day and age we spend lots of time trying to avoid hurt, pain and suffering, however, wouldn't it be better to help our young people learn how to lean on God at all times and look for His goodness even when all seems dark in times of trouble?

33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

John 16:33

Mrs Lisa Dumicich

Principal

ANZAC Service

Week 1 Term 2, 2024