“But ignoring what they said, Jesus said to the ruler of the synagogue, ‘Do not fear, only believe.’” (Mark 5:36).
Before the start of every school term, I am required to organise timetables for both the tutors who work for me and for the students they teach.
This is not as easy a task as it may initially appear! After all, tutors change university courses and join societies or plan holidays and study for exams, which affect their working-hour availability. And to add to the complication of an already complicated task, students pick up additional extracurricular activities half way through the term (or their siblings do), parents sometimes need to work late, and birthdays, anniversaries, school camps, holidays and life in general, still needs to take place!
This year was particularly troublesome for me. Because the HSC examinations were delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic last year, the university enrolments were also delayed, which caused a significant backlog of work for me – as many of the university timetables were not even released to the tutors prior to the school term commencing this year…
And so, I found myself sitting around – waiting for the deluge of work to hit me – and being completely unable to do anything at all about it…
Now, anyone who knows me will understand that I am a stressed person who manages her stress by organising herself. And so, this wait for timetabling felt at times very overwhelming for someone like me who always likes to be prepared…
And yet, while I was waiting, I read the words of Saint Francis de Sales, who said, “Never be in a hurry; do everything quietly and in a calm spirit. Do not lose your inner peace for anything whatsoever, even if your whole world seems upset. What is anything in life compared to peace of soul?”
And I was reflecting on that peace over the last few days and weeks. You see, in Saint Mark’s gospel, we hear the story of Jairus, who rushed to ask Christ to heal his sick daughter…
“A great crowd gathered about Jesus...Then came one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name; and seeing Him, he fell at His feet, and besought Him, saying, ‘My little daughter is at the point of death. Come and lay Your hands on her, so that she may be made well, and live.’ And He went with him...While he was still speaking, there came from the ruler's house some who said, ‘Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Teacher any further?’ But ignoring what they said, Jesus said to the ruler of the synagogue, ‘Do not fear, only believe.’” (Mark 5:21-43).
You see, it appeared that Christ was delayed. If only the haemorrhaging woman had not reached out to Christ first… If only Christ had not “wasted” time talking to that woman… If only Christ had come at the instant Jarius had needed Him and called out to Him… If only… If only… Then Jarius’ daughter would have been healed…
And yet, Christ has time for EVERYONE and God is NEVER late…
And instead of healing Jarius’ daughter, Christ raised her from the dead…
And I have been reflecting on that as I give thanks that finally most of my timetabling has come together for this current school term…
Because I long to be like Jarius so that God will say to me, “Do not fear, only believe…”
How I long to be like that!
For with prayer, I stand on Holy Ground where everything is clear. Here. At the Foot of the Cross.
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