Sometimes I question my decision (or lack of decision) to stick with glasses and not get contact lenses. Mostly this is when I'm running in the rain, like last Sunday afternoon when I wanted to test out my grumpy calf muscle on the beach.
Beach running is very tempting around here, and I've built up some serious rock-hopping and beach-bashing skills living first in Hillsborough near the Manukau, and now on the beautiful North Shore. Local knowledge and years of practice makes overtaking people in the annual Coastal Challenge on the way to Devonport via the coast seem 'effortless'. In reality, many tumbles, minor flesh wounds and leaps of faith have contributed to the skill set that makes it look easy.
The BBC reported on a speech tennis legend Roger Federer made the other day at a graduation ceremony, commenting on people saying he made tennis look 'effortless';
"People would say my play was effortless. Most of the time, they meant it as a compliment, but it used to frustrate me when they would say, 'He barely broke a sweat', or, 'Is he even trying?'. The truth is, I had to work very hard to make it look easy...Most of the time, it's not about having a gift. It's about having grit."
The reality is, very few satisfying things come easily to us, and if we are gifted something without having to work for it, we probably don't appreciate it so well. Pastor's Pen needs a spiritual application, but I'm choosing my words carefully because our salvation in Jesus Christ comes as a free gift. However, as a result of that gift we are invited on a life journey that leads us to work out what that salvation means. I suppose it's possible to have a nominal faith without sweating too much, but generally speaking the Holy Spirit leads us to a place where in order to grow and mature, we must put work into the disciplines of prayer, bible study and serving God according to our giftings. Maybe it looks 'effortless' but usually it isn't. Behind the scenes a lot of grit goes into sticking with the faith life. May you know God's sustaining power for the journey. Shalom
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