Friday
Dear Elsie
Yesterday & today have been the shortest days of the year.
Tomorrow the sun will set at 5.45pm and the days will very slowly start getting longer. This year I’ve really noticed the long nights. I’ve regularly fallen asleep way before 10pm, sometimes even around 9pm. Today the gloominess of the day was felt even more as a cold front swept through, bringing with it some blustery rain. It’s not expected to last.
Today I was reminded of how hard it is to get to the top of anything. I was reading about Tiffany Keep. I first heard her name this year when she won the ladies’ Argus Cycle tour. I started following her on Instagram and she has just posted that she has been selected to represent SA at the Olympics in Paris. She is so excited. She posted a bunch of photos of her as a young teenager dashing over mountains on a mountain bike. She reflected on the blood, sweat and tears it has taken for her to get to the top.
It’s difficult getting to the top of anything – I think of how we climbed (that tiny little mountain) last weekend and how we nearly turned back. I’m so glad we didn’t. It takes grit and determination to achieve anything – perseverance and stamina to keep going. When we got to the cross, we didn’t stay there long. It took us an hour and 45 minutes to labour up for 15 or so minutes of enjoyment at the top, but it was worth it. There was reward at the top. We were so glad we pushed on, but ultimately most time is spent on the journey, so my conclusion is, that’s where we need to enjoy ourselves. There will be another mountain to climb and I will be sure to stop often, rest regularly and enjoy the journey.
So excited to be seeing family this weekend, including you Els!
It’s not about now – we are only passing through.
Psalm 139:9-10
If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.
Keep the smile going.
God bless you.
In His Grip,
Gran xx 🙂