On the Move!
Leaving the past and heading for the future
by Tim Scott (revised, originally published in 2010)
Suitable for Whole School (Sec)
Aims
To consider how we deal with the times when we have to move on in our lives.
Preparation and materials
- Have available a property website such as www.rightmove.co.uk, and the means to display it during the assembly.
Assembly
- Display the property website to the students.
Show them how they would go about searching for a house if they were looking for their dream property. Make the process interactive by asking various students to give you criteria for the house search. Tell them from personal experience about a time when you moved house. - Whether we are moving house, moving schools or even moving country, there are often times in our lives when we will experience having to move on.
Ask the students, ‘How do you find having to move on? Exciting? Daunting? Scary?’
Pause to allow time for thought. - Not moving on sometimes feels like the safe option, but in reality, it can be bad for us. Scientists conducted an experiment in which they placed an amoeba, a tiny one-celled organism, in the ideal conditions of a comfortable, stress-free environment. It had no need to change or make any adjustments, yet it died. Why? Because even an amoeba needs change and challenge, just as we need food and water. Comfort can kill us.
- You may have heard of hermit crabs. They find a shell that fits, and then live in it until they grow too big for it. Do you know what hermit crabs do then? They leave the too-small shell and rush around the seabed looking for a bigger shell, before something eats them! This process repeats itself several times through the life of the hermit crab.
- Let’s think about this question: are you holding on to something that no longer fits you, just because it’s comfortable?
If we want to grow personally, we have to be prepared to get out of our comfort zone and move on, even when this means dealing with a little discomfort. We may have outgrown a club or a hobby, we may have to re-examine a relationship that we are in or we may have to change a behaviour that’s proving to be destructive. No matter what it is, let’s not become so settled that we can’t let go and move on when we need to. - In life, we will sometimes face obstacles that block us from moving on physically, mentally, emotionally and even spiritually. It may be the shock of leaving somewhere familiar, the death of a loved one, an injury or illness or a relationship that’s broken down. Before we can truly move on, here are three helpful things to consider.
- First, we should forgive those who’ve hurt us. We shouldn’t let the past control us. In the story of The Lion King, the young lion Simba must let go of his past. He blames himself for the death of his father because his wicked Uncle Scar told Simba that he was responsible. In the story, Simba runs away and refuses to confront his past. However, with the help of his friends, Timon and Pumbaa, and childhood sweetheart, Nala, he returns to become the lion king that he was meant to be.
- Second, we should confess our mistakes, say we are sorry and accept forgiveness.
- Third, we should give back by helping others to deal with their troubles. Let’s be kind to others, even if we may not like them very much. This applies to adults and younger children as well as people our own age.
Time for reflection
As we approach the end of another school year, which for some of us means the end of our time at this school, let’s not focus only on what we’re leaving behind.
Let’s think about what we’ll be taking with us when we go: hopefully, some good memories. Perhaps we can see that we have gained confidence, self-worth, wisdom and faith for the next challenge ahead.
Let’s learn from what’s gone before and move on. Ask the students, ‘Are we ready for bigger things?’
Pause to allow time for thought.
When it’s time to move on, it’s because, like for the hermit crab, there’s another shell out there that is a better fit for us. However, we can’t move into our new shell until we leave our old one.
There’s more ahead of us than behind us – the best is yet to come!
Prayer
Dear God,
As we think about the next stage in our lives, whether it is a new class, new school or new home,
Help us to be willing to move forward.
Help us to have courage.
Help us to let go of the things that hold us back
And to look up as we face the future.
Amen.
