大象传媒

A spiritual comment and prayer to begin the day.

Tuesday

Good morning. When I was very young, I loved sport - I still do - and I had the opportunity to have a go at a Wheelchair Tennis Taster Event. In hindsight I think it鈥檚 conclusively the case that I and Wheelchair Tennis were not made to be friends. I have problems with spatial awareness, so judging distance, exactly where things are, that sort of thing, they鈥檙e not my strength. I couldn鈥檛 serve. I managed to hit the ball occasionally, but not very far, and the person given the gift of being my coach that day had a very repetitive time trying to keep my spirits up without telling me I was far from skilled at the sport.

At the end of the day, I tried to get out of the wheelchair and my legs didn鈥檛 work at all. They don鈥檛 work well at the best of times, but on this occasion, they absolutely failed me altogether. But I was delighted. I felt alive. I鈥檇 tried something, it hadn鈥檛 worked, but I鈥檇 given it a go and done something that I鈥檇 not thought possible up to then, however badly I鈥檇 carried it off. As I look back on it from a great distance of time this morning it remains one of my favourite memories. Not everything we try has to be tried again. It鈥檚 very much better that some things aren鈥檛 tried again, but there鈥檚 a real joy in the trying. Faith feels like that for me, something I try at with God鈥檚 help and which is refined day by day into something which becomes beautiful, but still pales next to the one it is about and for, Jesus.

Father, help us to persist in walking with you today, whether we are crawling, sprinting, rolling or if each breath feels a herculean task. Thank you that you are with us, and for us.
Amen.