What a privilege it is to be welcoming everyone back to another year at St John’s!
I got stuck into some nagging chores during December. For some reason ticking things off a list gives me an odd sense of achievement – particularly at year end.
Yes, I agree – sharing a chore list with you is not very exciting news…but it was the symbolism of one item that struck me. It’s a tale of two watches. One watch is 33 years old (scary) and remains my favourite! This one has been faulty for over a year and has been sorely missed. The second is newer but required a change in the “pin” in the strap.
Some months back I took them to a well renowned jeweller who advised me that my 33-year-old watch required different tools due to its age and that they could not assist me. Extremely heartsore – I put it back into a little velvet bag and decided to research possible watchmakers who could repair my “velveteen rabbit” watch.
For a year the watch was transferred from handbag to vehicle, and scrappy adverts torn out of the local newspaper (watch repairs). I admit to feeling both defeated and deflated after the dismissive attitude of the jeweller and I failed to approach any action with much enthusiasm. During December I decided that I should try another suburban jeweller. Out came the little velvet bag once again – this time the shop attendant displayed enthusiasm and positivity – promising me that if I disappeared for 10 minutes, she could possibly attend to both of my faulty watches. Thinking this a little too optimistic – I returned with some reservation to find that both had been perfectly repaired – and all for the cost of R50. What an absolute delight!!!
The mountain I had seen in my mind required only that I take a few steps and shift my focus! What appeared as an insurmountable rockface of a large mountain could, as it turned out – easily be ascended via the rear footpath.
At the start of a new year, I am sure that I am not the only one who faces “mountains in my mind” i.e. tasks/problems that appear near impossible to climb/conquer.
We feel discouraged, deflated and depressed at the thought of spending time in a deep valley, with no visible way to move forward. Yet often all it takes is one deep breath and a few steps in another direction for us to find the path that takes us up that mountain.
It doesn’t hurt to have a party of hiking buddies along with you either – folk who are there to read the map or help you find the path and encourage you to find a way up that mountain. Handy hiking hint – St John’s Anglican is a community of folk who will gladly put on their walking shoes to help.
My watch, now back on my wrist – is a daily reminder to me to shift my focus – put God and what He asks of me first – and the rest will follow.
In the words of the popular worship chorus – “Turn your eyes upon Jesus” …you are singing now, aren’t you?
In the powerful words found in Matthew 6:33 – “seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things will be added unto you”.
Not only are we reminded to turn our eyes to Jesus, but we are reminded to show love to those around us. Mark 12 vs 30-31 reminds us to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and strength. The second is this Love your neighbour as yourself. There are no commandments greater than these”.
The world around us is chaotic and “noisy”. So many of us face financial, emotional or health problems that seem completely impossible to solve. Often darkness has been spoken over our situation by others, leaving us feeling even more overwhelmed. We are to take heart from Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 6 vs 25-26 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life. Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?”
As sons and daughters of God – we are not the first (and we won’t be the last) to feel stressed by what feels like huge mountains. David expressed his stresses in the Psalms (Psalm 38), Elijah seemed to experience major stress/burnout (1 Kings 19) as did the apostle Paul. I have decided to take encouragement from this and with Gods’ guidance, find a way to climb my mountains.
Perhaps it’s time (pun intended), for us all to take a breath, shift our focus and take one step at a time – feet firmly on the ground. Perhaps then we may find ourselves on top of a mountain admiring the view (even if we took the rear foot path instead of climbing the rocky front face) – the view will be just as good.
During 2026 – may your hiking party be supportive and lighten your load. May you focus on your guide (God) and may your mountains turn out to be foothills.
Love in Christ,
Vanessa