Sometimes you notice growth. Most of the time, growth is so slow that we go long periods unaware it’s happening. Life has the power to grow, and if we can’t see growth throughout our lives, we can wonder if it has lost its power.
Early this year I picked up a Red Ironbark, Eucalyptus sideroxylon, through the WA TreeBate scheme, and planted it in my yard. After planting it in April, I saw no new shoots for four months. I started to worry about its life. The leaves were green, but I saw no new growth. You might know what I’m going to say next. Spring happened, life happened! Growth started at the end of one slender branch, and a week later, I saw more growth, more life. Now, two months later, the tree has grown half a metre taller.
My story about a tree is more than just a story about a tree! It encourages all the parents and students in our dynamic Kennedy community. The joy of Chaplaincy is journeying with students and families for the years they spend in our College. Over the years, it can be hard to see growth. Some students seem to be stuck, spinning their wheels, putting in lots of effort but not going far. Years can go by and nothing seems to change. At times, parents come to see me, worried their maturing child has stopped growing; they almost seem to be going backward!
From my years of experience, life happens, and at some point, almost all students (and parents) start to see growth. Like my tree, there was a small sign of growth and life, and within a few months there is greater understanding, more patience, maturity, and sometimes, students are even half a metre taller.
The lesson I’d love to leave with our Kennedy parents here is to keep tending and to keep trusting life to keep growing. Your care will see growth at some point, and if you ever need a reminder to keep going, please call your Chaplain!
Peter Chase
College Chaplain
