That may seem like an odd title for a blog post, but when I went to bed last night I had intended to be climbing Pendle Hill today after Synod. I was going to climb it with others from the District (read Methodist District) as part of the Year of Prayer, during which Stephen Poxon the Chair ( another Methodist term) is inviting others to join him in walking and praying around the Distirct.
My body had other ideas, I woke with a sore throat and swollen glands, and while ibuprofen meant that I was able to attend Synod, but when it came to climbing Pendle Hill I found myself defeated. I did climb part of the way, but there reached a point when I just knew that to carry on would be stupid and would possibly land me in bed for a few days!
Reluctantly I turned to walk back, as it turned out that walk turned out to be a real blessing, on the way down, walking on my own I took greater note of my surroundings, I noticed the ways the trees leaned, I listened to the stream bubbling over rocks and stood to enjoy a robin's cheerful song. I suspect that I saw more detail than I might have done had I climbed to the top and I took lots of photos.
I was challenged by this because one of the things I had been really looking forward to was the view from the top, I wanted to take in the 360 view, I am by nature a big picture person, but as I find myself at the beginning of a new phase of ministry I know that taking in some of the details and listening to the songs and stories of those I am called to work amongst and with is important,these early weeks and months are a time for pausing and praying, listening and discerning. Later we will climb the hill ( or mountain), later and hopefully together, and while I may want to get to the top right now, maybe the time is just not right not yet, but this I do know, I found God in the details today, in the glory of creation, and in the views that I did see, and that is enough for today. There is something to be said for not rushing! I had a number of good chats with folk on the way down too :-)
