Bad starts are not ideal, but if you mess up the start to a race, a music performance or a year at school, you have time to turn things around. A poor start can be overcome. A poor finish, however, is more problematic. A person who tires at the end of a race and is run down has no chance to redeem themselves. The wrong final note of a musical piece leaves a lasting impression on the listeners.

Students who have had a great 2023 can start to move into cruise mode and not finish strong. This could be seen in areas such as their academics or behaviour. If a student hasn’t done their best this year, everything can be turned around in the following weeks. What is required is the student’s best effort, all of the way until the end of term.

In his letter the Philippians, Paul writes about finishing well. Despite his great achievements, he knew that for as long as he was alive, he needed to continue striving for the prize set before him:

"Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." Philippians 3:12-14

I encourage you to speak to your children about finishing this term well and to reflect on how you could be pressing on to take hold of what Jesus has for you.