New socks, new hope
Rain. Scotch mist. Mizzle. Drizzle. All the weathers. Except sun. Of course. Had to be. Leaving Iona it was not possible to look back and see anything had I wanted to. But as the curtains of mist descended the only possible mindset was to look forward in hope than to look back with yearning.
Thank goodness for the Church. After five miles of trudging through constant wet, I sought shelter in a Church of Scotland parish church in Bunessan. Carpeted and inviting, it also had a working and available blow heater!! Everything got dried. New socks, new hope.
Shelter has been much on my mind. When you are weary and wet and have no money for hot drinks and an excuse to sit in a cafe, where do you go. I found myself thanking God for all the Places of Welcome, all the Warm Spaces, all the Food Pantry projects and FoodBanks across the British Isles. Places for people to be known and loved and strangely warmed.
Walking, you are made so much more aware of vulnerabilities and the huge dependence we have on the basics of shelter and warmth.
When you are weary, what lifts you? The last mile is always the hardest. And I was losing strength. Fifteen miles in and a mile to go, I caught sight of an eagle soaring above Loch Scridain. And Isaiah 40 came to my rescue, motivating me to push through that last mile:.
28 Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
and his understanding no one can fathom.
29 He gives strength to the weary
and increases the power of the weak.
30 Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall;
31 but those who hope in the Lord
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary
Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
and his understanding no one can fathom.
29 He gives strength to the weary
and increases the power of the weak.
30 Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall;
31 but those who hope in the Lord
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary
Warm shelter is essential. A vital question to ask is what is the energy source of the heat. The UK government has announced they are giving grants to 100 new North Sea oil and gas licences. Why, when burning fossil fuels are a major cause of climate change?
ReplyDeleteWhat lifts me when I am weary is quiet solitude. Unhurried time on my own, in a physically quiet place, with little interaction and conversation with others, is what restores and revives me.
"in quietness and in trust shall be your strength" Isaiah 30:15
Interesting flip of the above is that I am lifted and energised by being with people. It depends on the people, of course. But I draw energy from.being with people with whom I enjoy their company. But I too need my quiet time.to restore me. And increasingly I am lifted by being in the natrual world
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