I had an interesting conversation the other day about camping. I have to admit, trying to get to sleep whilst laying in a sleeping bag on the hard ground, sharing my tent with a variety of buzzing and biting insects, is not my idea of a relaxing holiday. The first holiday I had with my (now) husband was camping in Ireland. We had borrowed an old canvas igloo tent from a friend of my Dad’s, who assured us it had been recently re-waterproofed, and all that was required to put it up was a foot pump to blow up the sides. (We were hard up university students after all).
We soon found out why Ireland is nicknamed the Green Isle!
The waterproofing failed spectacularly and the igloo tent soon became a pancake tent.
After about 4 days we “folded” the tent up (stuffed it in the boot of our car), and drove to the nearest town to find a friendly B&B.
Other camping holidays have had me woken at daybreak to the sound of a rubbish truck driving round the campsite emptying dustbins, and another time a sleepless night listening to one of my friends holding a conversation in her sleep.
God often takes us way outside our comfort zones, if we are willing to obey. The ground may be hard, the path rocky. We may have doubts and fears as we travel on that road. It may put a strain on some of our relationships, with difficult or challenging conversations at times.
There may be times of irritation or discomfort.
However God will never put us in danger. He will never make the road tougher than we can bare.
And he will bring us home.
Just as we survived that holiday and are still together some 40 plus years later – those struggles, that discomfort, the laughter and the tears, so our relationship with God will endure.
Happy camping!!…..but give me a comfortable bed!
Camping
I had an interesting conversation the other day about camping. I have to admit, trying to get to sleep whilst laying in a sleeping bag on the hard ground, sharing my tent with a variety of buzzing and biting insects, is not my idea of a relaxing holiday. The first holiday I had with my (now) husband was camping in Ireland. We had borrowed an old canvas igloo tent from a friend of my Dad’s, who assured us it had been recently re-waterproofed, and all that was required to put it up was a foot pump to blow up the sides. (We were hard up university students after all).
We soon found out why Ireland is nicknamed the Green Isle!
The waterproofing failed spectacularly and the igloo tent soon became a pancake tent.
After about 4 days we “folded” the tent up (stuffed it in the boot of our car), and drove to the nearest town to find a friendly B&B.
Other camping holidays have had me woken at daybreak to the sound of a rubbish truck driving round the campsite emptying dustbins, and another time a sleepless night listening to one of my friends holding a conversation in her sleep.
God often takes us way outside our comfort zones, if we are willing to obey. The ground may be hard, the path rocky. We may have doubts and fears as we travel on that road. It may put a strain on some of our relationships, with difficult or challenging conversations at times.
There may be times of irritation or discomfort.
However God will never put us in danger. He will never make the road tougher than we can bare.
And he will bring us home.
Just as we survived that holiday and are still together some 40 plus years later – those struggles, that discomfort, the laughter and the tears, so our relationship with God will endure.
Happy camping!!…..but give me a comfortable bed!