Principal's Ponderings

Hope in the Waiting

Isaiah 9:2, 6–7

“Those who walked in darkness have seen a radiant light shining upon them. They once lived in the shadows of death, but now a glorious light has dawned!”- ‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭9‬:‭2‬

Waiting is not something many of us enjoy. If you’ve ever stood in a long line at Coles or Woolies, waited for test results, or sat in traffic works heading to Launceston (or Hobart!!), you’ll know the feeling. Waiting can feel slow, frustrating and sometimes even pointless. Yet, in God’s story, waiting is never wasted. It is a time where faith is deepened, hope is refined and our eyes are lifted to Jesus.

The prophet Isaiah (Chapter 9 v 2 and v 6-7) spoke to God’s people in a time of great uncertainty. Their world was marked by darkness, fear and longing - marks we sense repeated in today’s times. Into this setting came the promise: “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned.” (Isaiah 9:2). 

That light was the promise of a Saviour. Centuries later, Jesus would be born in Bethlehem, and the hope God’s people had clung to would finally be fulfilled.

In our own lives, we understand waiting. At school, students wait for holidays, or for lessons to end, or for exciting events on the calendar. Teachers wait for understanding to bloom in the hearts of their students. Parents wait to see growth and maturity in their children. As a community, we sometimes wait for challenges to ease, for healing to come, or for prayers to be answered. Waiting is a common thread in all our lives.

But biblical waiting is not passive. It is not simply twiddling our thumbs until something happens. Instead, it is active hope. It is leaning into the promises of God, trusting that His timing is perfect. It is believing that even when we cannot see the full picture, He is weaving His good purposes. Hope in the waiting is what sustains us and lifts our eyes to Jesus.

This kind of hope is not wishful thinking. It is not the same as crossing our fingers and hoping for the best. Hope in Christ is confident expectation. It is grounded in the limitless truth that God keeps His word. Just as the Messiah came at the appointed time, so too will He return. Until then, we wait but we wait with hope.

As a school family, what might it look like for us to be people of hope this week? It may mean encouraging a classmate who is struggling, praying with faith that God is near, or choosing to be thankful even when the outcome is uncertain. It may mean trusting that God is at work in the lives of our children, our staff and our community, even when we cannot yet see the fruit, or in deeply challenging times. 

Let us begin this term with hope in our hearts. Let us remind one another that God’s promises are sure, His timing is perfect and His love never fails. In every classroom, in the playground and in every home, may the light of Christ shine as we wait in hope together.

Where in your life right now are you being asked to wait on God, and how can you choose to wait with hope rather than worry?

Lord Jesus, thank You that You are our hope. Teach us to trust You in seasons of waiting. Fill our hearts with patience, our minds with peace, and our lives with the light of Your presence. May we wait with faith and joy, knowing that You always keep Your promises. Amen.

With hope in the waiting, 

Chad Smit