The Long Walk Home

In a small moment away from work I discovered this. But as I was so proud to be associated with the great Dumbledore I thought I’d share.

Harry Potter Personality Quiz

Back to work this week, sitting at my desk all day staring at the sea, or the cloud covering the sea from view. Attempting to enjoy time alone in view of the intense two weeks awaiting me after the weekend. One day I’ll learn to be content with the situations placed before me each day.

Here’s where all the action happens.

There is something magical about going away,about holidays. Time away from normal routines, time to contemplate life again, to step back and get some perspective. Time to sit on riverside terraces in the pouring sunshine and eat massive slices of chocolate cake. Times to climb high mountains and breath fresh invigorating air again. Good times.

There is also something about coming back to the routines that threatened to stifle us before we went away. Routines that can be taken up again, that can be altered by our changed perspective on life. Well, at least, that is where my mind is at today. I love the lakes. But I’m glad to be home. Glad to see people at church yesterday, to know I have friends here, to get back into life. The stuff that I long to run away from most of the time isn’t so bad. And I pray that when I go back to work tomorrow it will be a similar experience. Of gaining new perspective on the work in front of me. Of remembering the one who really is in control and can change peoples lives. The inbetween world is grand for a visit. But there is stuff to be done. The sabbath times provide us perspective on the work times and vice versa.

Resting now points us towards the eternal rest, and reminds us of who is in control. God is the one who works in all times and in all places, I just have a little bit of that to help out with, to mess up and learn the grace of my Father in. Tomorrow I start that again, desperately hoping and praying that this year may be the year in which I learn to depend on Him. In which I learn to hold onto truth and live a life of integrity that lives and breaths the reality about us. In which I stop living the veneer of Christianity and carry on living as a child of God, faithful in this relationship. And when tomorrow I fall from that ideal, that this year will be one in which I become more aware of the grace that holds me to this path, that pushes me along it and which will lead me home. And that somehow others will get caught up in that grace as I stumble over the mountains. Pray that I will know that this will happen because of Him at work, the great I AM living within me and holding me steady.

Oh and check out

‘Blue like Jazz’

by Don Miller, scary and reassuring to read someone who expresses the thoughts in my head so well.

Hang the world, give me a river.
God’s aspirin to my soul,
Hang the world, let me stay here
Let it flow, let it flow
Hang the world, give me a river
For reasons plain to see
Hang the world, let me stay here
I’m just tired of chasing me. (M.Joseph)

A small ditty which should, in my mind, be changed to ‘hang the world, give me the lake district’. Which wouldn’t scan so well but would sum up all I feel right now. The Lakes are the place to which I go to put this world in perspective. A Lakeland poet summed it up in these words. “For in this place where God is all in all, the world appears immeasurably small”. An experience I need once in a while. A place to remember that God is the one in charge of this world and this life, not me. A place to take all my thoughts away and leave me gasping for breath at the beauty around me. A place where I am at home, where I can do nothing but smile because nothing else matters in that space. A place where part of my heart and soul have been left, and when we are reunited peace returns.

Escapism, maybe, but a real place to find energy and strength to carry on this journey. Sometimes the struggle seems to much and too hard, the road too steep and the mountains to high to climb, and I despair of ever making it home. Being away, drenched in such beauty and space, settles my soul as I am reminded of the one who made the mountains and the one who walks with me home. When I was younger and we were out hill walking, my Dad taught me how to walk up hills. You take small little steps, and you walk with someone. No matter how far ahead everyone else was, my Dad always walked with me. We’re going to make it home, because our Dad is walking with us. The lakes help me remember the simplicty of walking with my Father. And I’m going there tomorrow. So hang the world, give me the Lake District, God’s aspirin for my soul. I’ll return, fitter for the journey ahead in a week.