The children’s book The Snail and the Whale has a wonderful message, it’s about a snail (unsurprisingly!) who unlike his fellow snails becomes disillusioned with spending his life on the same rock.
He wants to “live”, by travelling to new places with rewarding adventures that he will never enjoy by staying where he is.
How does he achieve this? He overcomes his smallness by hitching a ride on a whale that takes him to distant lands and so he has many new experiences after overcoming challenges such as rough seas whilst at other times enjoying good weather and supportive people.
For the whale and the snail’s experiences, we think of Jesus and his disciples respectively. The followers who gave up everything to follow Jesus despite their various disadvantages of wealth, poorness, little education and of course not knowing what they faced.
Can we be the snail? By faithfully depending on Jesus? Looking to step out from the rock of our normal everyday reactions and/or thinking, wherever, whatever, whoever we are, with age and fitness no barrier.
Forgiving, forgetting, encouraging, serving, helping, enthusing, being patient and kind can all provide new, rewarding experiences.
Every journey, no matter how great or small, starts with one small step, where Jesus supports us and bids us.
If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles (Matthew 5 v 41).
Cheerfully!
With all blessings and apologies for the lateness of updating this blog
Tony
PS I try to update this blog around Monday each week