Recently, our class went for a Teddy Bear Picnic at a reserve near the school. Students arrived in the morning excitedly with their soft toys and couldn’t wait for the picnic.
When we started our walk, everyone was hyped with energy full to the brim. After a distance, students started asking if we have reached our destination. Like the donkey in the movie Shrek, we soon had countless of ‘Are we there yet?’, pouring out of the mouths of students who were becoming tired of the walk.
Some even had tears streaming down as we navigated up some hilly paths. When we finally reached the reserve, the children regained their energy as they had their morning tea. After participating in all the activities at the reserve, students then embarked on their journey back to school.
By this time, most of the students were depleted of their energy. Tanks were running low. Some were dragging their feet as they walked back. Others had weak legs giving way partway through the walk back. Most collapsed almost immediately as they reached the classroom hitting the grounds as they lay down to rest.
A rollercoaster year
For some of us, our year has been like this walk. First, it started with excitement. The anticipation of a new year and all that we could achieve easily fills us up with energy and excitement as we kick start the year.
Soon, we were rapidly drained of our energy as we were quickly met with challenges and had to battle through trials. Yet, we still kept going and held our heads high.
As the peak approached, we arrived at the plateau on the mountaintop. With the uphill climb behind us already conquered and our destination right in front of us, we relaxed and had some fun.
Next though came the downhill path. Here, we dragged ourselves, occasionally stumbling from the loss of energy, as we hurried back for some rest after all has been done.
How do we end with a bang on a high note, rather than a low flat out of key note where we are out of breath?
Our company
Having people to walk with us makes a difference in our journey. No man is an island and it is in our DNA to gravitate to people rather than to be alone.
Alongside the changes in the world and with social distancing being implemented, we sometimes find ourselves disconnected from others. While we might be physically forced apart from others, we need to remember to keep connected socially in any way we can.
When you have friends who are encouraging you throughout your journey, even when things are hard, their encouragement keeps you going.
“Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work; If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!” (Ecclesiastes chapter 4, verse 9-10).
When one of the boys cried as he was exhausted from the walk, some simple encouragement and praise alongside inviting him to be in close proximity with me motivated him to lead the whole line energetically. The tears magically evolved into smiles as he plucked up his courage and walked bravely onwards with every single ounce of energy left in him.
Some who were tired, managed to keep up with the others because they had a buddy who held their hands and cheered them up whenever they started to fall behind. A small tug in the hand as they faltered, was enough to propel another forward to ensure that nobody stayed stagnant when we were walking.
Without a close friend by our side, we might have fallen in a pit without anyone even noticing it, so we begin to rot in there. However, when we feel that we begin to slow down, just a nudge by a close buddy who walks alongside us, keep us moving forward in life.
Our pacemaker
Who we journey with also plays a vital role in how we journey through life. The company we have either drains us of our energy or rejuvenates us.
When we walked back from our picnic, we became more aware that we needed to slow the pace down so that all the children were able to walk back safely. If the teachers walked too fast, the students legs could not keep up and eventually there we lots of tripping and falling over.
On the other hand, when the teachers became to pace themselves slowly to match the speed of the students, the little ones were pushed slightly to walk after but not to the point that they were rushing and tripping because the speed was beyond them and they had over exhausted themselves in the process.
Like a marathon, the people closest to us are our pacemaker, who determines the pace of our race. How the people who we are accountable to pace the race affects how we go in our race. This in turn determines if we finish our race or end up forfeiting halfway.
Bulldozing right from the start and blindly following others without thinking ahead to the ending may well result in burnouts before we have achieved what we have set out to do.
“A righteous man is cautious in friendship, but the way of the wicked leads them astray”(Proverbs chapter 12, verse 26).
Our pillar
As we choose our company around us and determine who influences us, it is always important to remember that our main pillar to rely on however, should not be man.
We all know that we have strengths but also weaknesses; no matter how great a leader is, they too have their shortcomings. To rely on another human, frail just like us, is only setting us up for disappointment.
Psalms chapter 146 tells us who we should put out trust and hope in and why –
“Do not put your trust in princes, in mortal men, who cannot save. When their spirit departs, they return to the ground; on that very day their plans come to nothing.
Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the LORD his God, The Maker of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them—the LORD, who remains faithful forever.”
Some simply call Him God, but He is also known by many other names – Jehovah Jireh our provider, Jesus Christ our Saviour, YHWH the I am, and the list goes on.
We can call Him whatever we like. What’s crucial is that we know that there is a supernatural almighty being who not only created this world but had us in mind when He did that. The Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, who loves us more than anything in this world.
With the end of the year drawing closer, the Christmas season is a reminder of our source of strength and hope. The nativity scene proclaims the extraordinary love of an all powerful Father who gives His son to redeem mankind. Only the creator can redeem His creations.
Let’s end our year with a bang in the company of friends who lifts us up. Let our hope be firmly anchored in our creator, that we will not be swayed by the storms that comes our way. As we are strengthened, may we too be a reliable company and pacemakers to others around us so they too can end with a bang.
Esther Koh is a primary school teacher living in Christchurch with her husband and two sons. She loves people and has a passion for helping others find their purpose for living.
Esther Koh’s previous articles may be viewed at http://www.pressserviceinternational.org/esther-koh.html