Earlier this year I went to the Yorkshire Dales for a reunion of four friends from our youth group days. We arrived full of great intentions to walk, hike and climb but we had forgotten to take one thing into account. The UK weather! We arrived to wind, mud and snow instead of warm sunshine. It didn’t take us long to shift our plan. Why? Because we realised that our clambering over the terrain in those conditions wouldn’t look as good to others as in our minds. We might imagine ourselves as gazelles leaping, but the reality would be more earthy!
Walking went out of the window, except for one particularly long walk. We spent the week justifying our new plan as if somehow it had always been a superior one. In our minds, it became the plan we’d always had! Admittedly, it was enjoyable as we took a Theakston’s brewery tour, sampled Aasygaarth tea rooms and visited the Wensleydale cheese factory but it was a poor substitute for where we’d hoped we’d end up.
In life, our best plans can go out of the window. We take a different tack than we intend because we convince ourselves that we’ve made a mistake in the first place; or our great intentions seem to be a waste of time in the face of situations; or we’re worried that others might see our struggles and slip ups.
Over the past few weeks, we’ve found some of our church plans have needed to be double checked. We thought the Busbridge Church tower and roof were sound, but the UK weather and squirrels have taken their toll. Our plans began to be reshaped. The question we asked ourselves was what the building meant to people. Did the tower, and the integrity of the building, matter? What did it mean to have the tower there? Should we let the community know that we were having to grapple with a significant issue with this Grade 2* building that we’re stewards of for future generations?
When we told the community about the tower problems, we had no idea what the reaction might be. A local firm is supporting us with the works. A roofer offered his expertise free of charge. Individuals have given funds. Ben Rogers has completed a bare-foot 39 mile hike from the coast to Busbridge. Ben’s already raised £4,000, and it’s not too late to sponsor him on his gofundme page.
We all face dilemmas. Circumstance change, but that doesn’t mean give up. In the Dales, no matter where we drove, a huge tor called Penhill always in sight. Even in the rain, it was obvious this huge tor was still there. It stood there like a sentinel. Yes, we climbed it. That hill became a comforting symbol of constancy despite the changing plans and uncertainty. It stood there reassuring us that we were indeed in the Dales, in the right place, and together as friends.
We might be concerned that people might see our struggles, but God’s love means we don’t need to hide the struggles behind closed in windows. Situations often seem too vast for us, but our situations are never without hope if they centre on good intentions. Like Penhill, God’s presence is constant, even if changing plans of snow, mist and rain of life obscure our awareness of God. As the Bible puts it:
“You will make known to me the path of life, in your presence is fullness” (Psalm 16)