Hi,
A Happy New Year to you all.
My apologies that I haven’t been on the blog or discussion forums for a while but I have had some essays which need to be handed in on Monday! I have still to finish them but need a mental break so thought I would log on.
The title of the blog refers to the fact that I start the New Year at college handing these essays in. For me there is a great sense of relief that I have even got to the point where I can hand them in and there seems to be that moment when I can say t myself – all done it’s out of my hands. I also love giving library books back, it is very cathartic!
For an essay on Job I counted that I will have read all or part of 30 books, and I still cannot say I am an expert on Job at all, indeed having read all that lot that the one thing I have learnt is that I have so many more questions about the book of Job now than I did when I started!
Anyway back to the point. It is a delicious moment when I hand the books in and it lasts about 30 seconds until I see someone else that has also handed an essay in. Generally they start to tell me what they have done and I start to realise how much I forgot to include or I start to doubt that I actually have my own conclusions correct etc.
For me it means about 4 weeks when I want to know the mark but also worry I haven’t passed. It seems silly but it is the reality of what happens for me - here we go again.
I wrote in the church magazine about the start of what is an Olympic year and about the fact that we are all called (as Paul puts it) to run the race and for me part of that personal experience is handing in and then waiting for the results on those essays.
I suspect you all have something you could think of in your own lives that is the equivalent of my essays but whatever it is the call to you and I is the same to run the race and run well and when we do run well even though it might look at first as if the situation is hopeless (I am going to fail I know it!) it is amazing what happens.
Some years ago when Chris was smaller I was persuaded to enter the father’s race at school. They looked like brilliant competition and then it got worse as the 6’4’’ policemen stepped up to the start. This looked like last place and carnage. But I ran the race and I won – and can still remember the words of the policemen as he came and shook my hand and said – how did that happen!
To be honest as a ‘larger person’ I was helped by the fact that for many years I had played football each week and trained twice a week but it was also true that the track chosen was slightly downhill so as we stood on the start I decided to simply let gravity take me and move my legs as fast as possible. It truth I simply let go!
It is amazing what will happen if we simply let go. So as you run the race in front of you this year and as we as a church run the race the Lord sets out for us my prayer is that we may let go and simply trust and follow him.
P.S. I tried the same tactic against the same policemen and another group of dads the following year and would you believe I won again – with him still wondering how, proof positive that letting go works.
God Bless and Happy New Year
Paul.
