I was thinking back to this hugely embarrassing moment that happened about 30 years ago exactly. It all unfolded at the beautiful Silvermine reserve, which back in the day, had loads of forests and no entrance fee.
Mike & I were dating – not quite engaged, when we were asked if we wanted to go on a mountain ‘fun run’! How mountain and fun run can go together, I’m still trying to figure out, but anyway we went along.
We gathered on the right side of the road – where the bike parking lot is today. There was a large forest on the Cape Town side of it. We were all given maps and had to run along a pre-arranged route. My mistake was that I did not read the map correctly and ended up going the wrong way. Along the route, there were landmarks I had to look out for and by jove, I found them. There were logs of the right description and massive stones that looked right. I got to forks in the path which were on the map, so I just carried on and on and on. I met no one. I did not see a soul. Eventually, I began to think that maybe, just maybe, I had gone the wrong way. I decided it was time to turn around. By now I had run for MILES. I turned around and retraced my lonely steps. Eventually, I came to the end of the forest and merrily ran back along the path to the starting point. Suddenly, someone in the crowd saw me and they all started cheering. I was applauded with jubilation. I didn’t quite understand why. Mike gave me a loving hug and the organiser came up and told me that he was on the point of sending out a search party (seriously!) because they had a check list and I had not returned!
How embarrassing was that?
I was lost and didn’t know it.
I always look back on that humiliating experience with a great deal of embarrassment. I nearly was the lost sheep that Jesus spoke of.
Luke 15:3-7
Then Jesus told them this parable: 4 “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? 5 And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders 6 and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbours together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ 7 I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.
Those are words of life.
These are the days.
Keep the smile going.
God bless you!
In His Grip,
Helga xx 🙂