And some fell on stony ground

My sixth form pupils finished lessons today. They are now off on Study Leave. They have a week or so before the first of the examinations that will determine whether they get into the university/course of their choice.

Have you heard the parable of the sower? It is about seed being sown and landing in different conditions - fertile soil, where it grows and flourishes; soil with stones and weeds, where it struggles unsuccessfully to grow; or stony ground, where it dries out and dies. The parable is about the word of God and how people respond to it/him.

I saw this little seed and made the connection with my pupils heading off. Will they develop all that they have learned over the past two years and do themselves justice when answering questions? Will distractions choke their good intentions to study for their exams? Naturally I'm hoping for that little seed of knowledge to grow and bear fruit!

It's hard to step back and let them all go. I've done my bit (I hope!) - now I'm trusting them to get stuck in to work and do themselves proud!

Farewell, class of 2014 :)