From the Chaplaincy

Trust

A member of the Chaplaincy Team recalls her final exams and the months and months of preparation leading up to them. For her it was the shrill awakening at 5:00 each morning, followed by a moment to pause.

Pause. 

Silence the clamour.

Be mindful.

Be still, and know that I Am God. Psalm 46:10

Be still, and know that I Am.

Be still, and know that I.

Be still, and know that.

Be still, and know.

Be still.

Be.

Be, just be the transparency for all that God is. Be the transparency for divine intelligence, for infinite ability, for intuition, for ingenuity. Above and beyond all, be the transparency for gratitude and love. 

This ‘pauseful’ moment was the most fundamental preparation, smoothing the way for whatever followed. Mum would tap on the door and greet her with a mug of milo. Exercise books crammed with precis would be folded open. A sharpened grey lead and an array of coloured pencils would be ‘at the ready’. 

In hindsight, this was a period in her life that felt very satisfying and joyful. All the necessary spadework had been done, the committing to memory, the practising. All that was left was to know that she was enough, and to trust. 

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will show you the right way. Proverbs. 

“That’s my secret weapon”, she thought as she entered the school hall. Hundreds of desks were spaced out, and she was identified with a number instead of a name. She felt uplifted. Confident. Excited. Inspired. All that preparation held her in good stead and her pen just flew across the pages. There were moments when her mind became blank and an answer eluded her. Panic mode? Not at all! It was an opportunity to pause and trust. Trust . . . and He will show you the right way. And incredibly, each time, the answer came instantly, as if a voice had dictated the words for her.

So, how did it all pan out? What were her results like? Did it matter? With great humility and gratitude, she was delighted with her distinctions. She was thrilled to be awarded a scholarship, but what mattered beyond and above the flutter of success was that she learned more about her relationship to the Divine. She learned to be that transparency. She learned to pause and to trust.

The Chaplaincy Team