From the APRIM

Dear Families

With all the rain that we have had this week, it is hard to believe that we had months of drought in years gone by. Do you remember the no watering of lawns, washing cars using only a bucket of water and the brown grass surrounding Adelaide? We have certainly had our fair share of rain this week.

Now as we arrive home and deal with sodden shoes, children with wet hair and musty, damp jumpers, to say nothing of the tonnes of mud that they have also managed to bring into the house, we can find it difficult to be grateful. We can’t do the outside jobs, the washing will have to dry inside and we will FREEZE having to stand out in the weather watching the kids play sport… if it isn’t cancelled.

Dieter F. Uchtdorf suggests that we can be grateful. How often do we show gratitude when life is going well? But what about when it isn’t? We will all experience hardship, grief, loneliness, frustration and despair at some time in our life. He proposes “setting aside the bottle of bitterness and lifting instead the goblet of gratitude to find a purifying drink of healing, peace, and understanding.”

We sometimes count our blessings when life is great but forget that we can be grateful all year round. Instead of being grateful for things, let’s try being grateful in our circumstances.

We sometimes think that being grateful is what we do after our problems are solved, but how terribly short-sighted that is. How much of life do we miss by waiting to see the rainbow before thanking God that there is rain?”

This is going to be a challenge for me, as I dash into kindy to pick up my grand-daughter who will choose the pouring rain as the time to use the ‘go’slow’ approach to get into her car seat and then tell me, “Marmar, you’re getting wet.” I will get wet but seeing that little face, the chance to be a grandparent and all the experiences that life has given me, does make me grateful in my circumstances.

Blessings to you all and I pray for a warm and dry spot for you this weekend,

Sharyn Black
Assistant Principal Religious Identity and Mission