Schoolchildren preparing for the wide wide world
by Pat Stringer, Reader in the Parish of Great Yarmouth
This is a testing time of the year for children and young people with exams to prepare for, projects to complete; notes and back work to be swotted up before taking these exams. For those coming to the end of their school years they will be looking for employment and others hoping to go to college or university good results and grades are essential, which cause many of our youngsters to become stressed and worried about their futures
It is up to us as parents, grandparents, teachers and friends to inspire these young people. To do this we might look back on that inspiring speech Michelle Obama made to the girls at the school she visited whilst in England supporting Barack Obama as he attended the G20 meetings. Michelle Obama put herself forward as a shining example of what could be achieved, coming from a lowly background to become the wife of the President of the USA
These girls were told, “Whether you come from a council estate or a country estate, your success will be determined by your own confidence and fortitude. We are counting on every single one of you to be the best that you can be”
Just recently ten guides from the newly formed 5th Great Yarmouth Guide Company went on a day trip to London and whilst there the guides, one of whom was my grand-daughter, made their promise by standing in a circle outside the gates of Buckingham Palace saying, “I promise that I will do my best, to love my God, to serve the Queen and my country, to help other people and to keep the Guide Law”
What encouragement these words give, “to be the best that you can be”, and the promise, “I will do my best”. These are inspiring words not only for young people but for every one of us to take on board in our daily lives
Like the guides we can promise “to do our best and love our God”; the words we say to other people should be ones of encouragement and love, not criticism. We all thrive on praise and support
What greater inspiration can we have, whether young or old, than to share the experience of having the love of Christ in our lives, we can promise to love our God and as Christians show the passion we have for worshipping God, so that this passion can be seen by others, be an influence to our children, friends and neighbours, so they feel encouraged and inspired to live their lives “to be the best they can be”
PAT
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