Thursday 18 October 2007

Good things come to him who waits. The trouble is, waiting is so frustrating. Three years ago, I started writing a book. One year ago, I finished writing it. This week, at last, it goes on sale. The journey has been a long one of writes…re-writes…edits, scribbles…and not a few of my bad typos along the way! At times I almost forgot why I started writing it in the first place. The big idea seemed to be swallowed up in the small details. Where did the inspiration go when it came down to footnotes and page numbers and punctuation?

Persistence may be a noble human virtue, but it really comes and goes. When we need to keep going it takes stubbornness and determination on the inside, and lots of encouragement on the outside along the way. Plenty of people have kept me going through this process. They have enquired after me, prayed for me, put up with me, and most importantly believed in me. There are times for all of us when we just need someone to believe we can do it. Its not only sportsmen and women who need a cheering crowd.

At the end of his time on earth it was time for Jesus to pass on the baton to his followers. When he gave the task of spreading his message to a bunch of ill-equipped and frightened followers, he kept the instructions to a minimum. There wasn't a long list of do's and don'ts. He didn't tell them exactly where to start or how to spend each day. He did tell them that it might be a bumpy ride, though. The most important thing he said was "I will be with you always, even to the end".