Plodding Along

by Alan and Clarice Smith 21 May 2021

Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.  They will soar on wings like eagles, they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. Isaiah 40:31

During the past fifteen months or so, have you felt as though you have been merely plodding along and not living life to the full, because we have been restricted in our thoughts as to what we could plan and be hopeful to carry out?  At present so much of our 'normal' daily activity has been curtailed and sometimes replaced with alternatives.  We may have welcomed change or on the other hand we may have fought it.  For some these changes may have offered them more free time to reflect on life generally and ask themselves some important questions.

We know it has been a very sad time for those who have lost loved ones, and for those who are still suffering from the after effects of Covid 19.  Most of them undoubtedly would admit that it all felt too much and overwhelming at times, and all they could do was plod on day by day.

Life as we knew it with all its ups and downs before the pandemic could and did for all of us, from time to time, throw obstacles at us, causing us to stumble and feel faint and weary.  The difference of course was on the whole, people found it easier to make that extra effort to get up and get moving.

If we have been, or still are, living as if trudging through heavy mud and being brought down, may we turn our thoughts to Isaiah 40:31 and place our hope in the Lord.  How often in the past have you felt up lifted with a good sermon, a good hymn sing, an encouraging word from a friend, answer to a prayer, to such an extent that as a result you have felt you could cope with anything at that particular moment in time?  Unfortunately such times don't last indefinitely, and out of the blue come circumstances to challenge us once more.  Now as a result of those circumstances we may not be flying like eagles, but we may still be running.  Life then presents another knock and tests us, and we may well find ourselves in yet a slower motion - only walking BUT we will NOT faint.

Life is not always about soaring.  Often, it's simply finding the strength to put one foot in front of the other and plod on even when we'd rather not.  We can look again at the above scripture verse and take comfort.  Let us hope in the Lord and renew our strength for our journey.

Prayer
Heavenly Father we want to say thank you for all you have provided and will continue to provide for us as we travel life's journey with you.  May we be good ambassadors for your church whether we are going through 'soaring' or 'walking' times, and attract others to want to know more about Jesus and his love for each one of us.  It's in his name we ask our prayer.
Amen