From the Chaplain

Last week I went on the Year Nine camp.  I had a great group of students and it was awesome getting to know them all.  I had never been camping before, so it was quite an experience for me.  You soon realise how unfit and old you are, with the students racing up ahead in the bush walks and climbing through the caves at record speed.  We had a 10km walk on the beach and the wind was very strong pushing us back.  I could barely lift my head to see where we were going.  All I could do was look down and follow the footsteps in front of me, one after the other. It reminded me of the Footprints in the Sand poem: 

One night I dreamed a dream.

As I was walking along the beach with my Lord.

Across the dark sky flashed scenes from my life.

For each scene, I noticed two sets of footprints in the sand,

One belonging to me and one to my Lord.

After the last scene of my life flashed before me,

I looked back at the footprints in the sand.

I noticed that at many times along the path of my life,

especially at the very lowest and saddest times,

there was only one set of footprints.

This really troubled me, so I asked the Lord about it.

"Lord, you said once I decided to follow you,

You'd walk with me all the way.

But I noticed that during the saddest and most troublesome times of my life,

there was only one set of footprints.

I don't understand why, when I needed You the most, You would leave me."

He whispered, "My precious child, I love you and will never leave you

Never, ever, during your trials and testings.

When you saw only one set of footprints,

It was then that I carried you."

(Unknown author)

Mrs Naomi Cooper | Chaplain