Wednesday 25 September 2013

Going deeper

I was in the library yesterday when a group of women came in. They were wearing cycling gear and had just been out together cycling around the hills. I overheard the following snippet of their conversation:

"Janet's just been cycling the Loire Valley in France."
"Oh really," her friend replied. "How long did that take?"
"She said she didn't know, because she got lost a few times."

This made me smile. It seems to fit in with my ideas about the winding path of life. Perhaps some of the best bits of the journey are seen when we are technically 'lost'.

Yesterday I went to a funeral of an amazing woman who was only 49 when she died. The funeral chapel was packed - there must have been around 400 people in attendance. Alison had been a key member of the local tennis club for over 20 years. What surprised me was that she'd never been on a plane. She'd not gone far from home at all. On her bucket list was a trip to see her brother in Perth. Unfortunately the cancer meant that she never got to tick that item off the list. And yet, for a woman who travelled so little, she achieved a huge amount. Hers was not a wide influence, but the development of very deep connections that few of us will attain. I only knew Alison for a short time but her life has made a big impact on me. She has made me re look at the depths of my relationships. I was blessed to know her.

Today's thought is:
How can I go deeper in my relationships with friends and family and the wider community?

Prayer
So often Lord I'm looking over the next hill. Help me to see what's around me right here and now.


Tuesday 17 September 2013

The journey begins


“You have to leave the city of your comfort and go into the wilderness of your intuition. What you’ll discover will be wonderful. What you’ll discover is yourself.” 
~ Alan Alda


Somehow it seems fitting to start my first blog post with a quote from someone else. I doubt myself. I wonder what I have to say that would be of interest to anyone else. Well that may be the case, but if you are a reflective person I hope you will find my musings of interest.
I have been pondering for some time the 40 years in the Wilderness that Moses spent with the Children of Israel. I remember being told once that the journey to the promised land should only have taken about two weeks. Now I know men don't like to ask directions but all that wandering is stretching things in my opinion! So why did they have to spend 40 years getting there, and what can I learn from their experience? I think I will ponder this question over the coming weeks on my blog. 




Today's thought is:
How comfortable am I in Egypt? Do I even want to follow God's leading?

Prayer:
Today Lord we have so many ways we can read your Word. It's available online, in the Bible and as an App. The Children of Israel had a pillar of cloud and fire to follow. Help me to see that I have an equally clear guide if I choose to follow your Word each day.