London - Belfast: 322 miles
London - Durham: 233 miles
London - Zimbabwe: 5146 miles
Distance: "The amount of space between two things or people...."
This week, as Wimbledon becomes home, I'm learning a lot about how far places are and how long it takes to get there. I know that my morning commute takes around 35 minutes in totality, that the walk to town is just over 15 minutes (but less than 20) and that the walk to the nearest supermarket (Waitrose) is just over 10 minutes. All in all, we've been blessed with a very conveniently located house.
However, distance is more than just how long it takes me to get a pint of milk:
Distance: "The amount of space between two things or people..."
Phonecalls with friends this week have unveiled my emotional side as I recognise that no length of telephone chat can replace the depth of conversation that comes with a face to face catch up. I reckon this is probably because I love going for coffee with people (partly because of the people and partly because of the coffee) and living in London has diminished this element of my life somewhat. However, it is very odd to recognise that people I've seen everyday for the past three years are now some two hundred miles away and can only be reached on the phone. It's a natural progression though, and I'm simultaneously enjoying the hour-long conversations and snippets of Durham life that are coming from various friends, making me feel like I'm not missing out too much.
Most significantly this week, however, I've recognised that tomorrow I'm travelling, quite literally, to the other side of the globe. World maps show that Zimbabwe is as far south as Australia and Brazil, the opposite side of the equator and also the most southernly I've ever been. However, the physical distance fades in comparison to the emotional distance I've felt in preparation (or lack of preparation) for this trip:
Distance: "The condition of being remote. Far off."
There have been numerous "new's" in the past two weeks of my life. New house, borough, city, job, people, tasks, and these things have taken up a considerable amount of headspace. A two week trip to a developing country definitely didn't enter my head until I recognised it was only 7 days away. Prayer and chat this week has caused me to recognise that this distance is also a relational thing.
Let me elaborate a little. Before Uganda, I'd decided a year in advance that I wanted to go to Africa to explore the possibility of becoming a missionary teacher. Eight months before I went to India, I felt God telling me that I really had to sacrifice my time and money to go there. These two trips were fully thought out, fully prepared and I knew that I had to be in those specific places.
This time it's different. I knew that God wanted me to do this charity internship, but the trip was a part of that, not the whole. Thus, it wasn't in my consciousness in the same way and I forgot to prepare. However, in the past week I've slowly, but surely, become excited about witnessing this new culture, chatting to these local people and developing a sense of what's going on in this distant country. It's two weeks long and will be a whistle-stop tour. We'll learn a lot, although exhaustion will inevitably occur. We'll have some really beautiful and valuable moments, but also some stressful and challenging ones. I'm excited for what God's going to do and what I'm going to learn. Especially as I'm confident this experience will shape my year. I'm going to have stories to tell and that's worth the travelling.
The conclusion is a bit of a spiritual one. Church for me is a very important part of my life, and over the past few weeks I've been challenged as I pray and wonder about where God wants me to settle. But I've learnt that the distance between God and me does not change. And that's beautiful. His spirit is moving and present when I'm in my house, my office, on a plane and in countries that are the other side of the globe.
Distance: "The more remote part of what is visible or discernible."
I'm turning that on its head and learning that God is the opposite. And that closeness is something that will be really valuable over the next 14 days.
It's time for Africa.
London - Durham: 233 miles
London - Zimbabwe: 5146 miles
Distance: "The amount of space between two things or people...."
This week, as Wimbledon becomes home, I'm learning a lot about how far places are and how long it takes to get there. I know that my morning commute takes around 35 minutes in totality, that the walk to town is just over 15 minutes (but less than 20) and that the walk to the nearest supermarket (Waitrose) is just over 10 minutes. All in all, we've been blessed with a very conveniently located house.
However, distance is more than just how long it takes me to get a pint of milk:
Distance: "The amount of space between two things or people..."
Phonecalls with friends this week have unveiled my emotional side as I recognise that no length of telephone chat can replace the depth of conversation that comes with a face to face catch up. I reckon this is probably because I love going for coffee with people (partly because of the people and partly because of the coffee) and living in London has diminished this element of my life somewhat. However, it is very odd to recognise that people I've seen everyday for the past three years are now some two hundred miles away and can only be reached on the phone. It's a natural progression though, and I'm simultaneously enjoying the hour-long conversations and snippets of Durham life that are coming from various friends, making me feel like I'm not missing out too much.
Most significantly this week, however, I've recognised that tomorrow I'm travelling, quite literally, to the other side of the globe. World maps show that Zimbabwe is as far south as Australia and Brazil, the opposite side of the equator and also the most southernly I've ever been. However, the physical distance fades in comparison to the emotional distance I've felt in preparation (or lack of preparation) for this trip:
Distance: "The condition of being remote. Far off."
There have been numerous "new's" in the past two weeks of my life. New house, borough, city, job, people, tasks, and these things have taken up a considerable amount of headspace. A two week trip to a developing country definitely didn't enter my head until I recognised it was only 7 days away. Prayer and chat this week has caused me to recognise that this distance is also a relational thing.
Let me elaborate a little. Before Uganda, I'd decided a year in advance that I wanted to go to Africa to explore the possibility of becoming a missionary teacher. Eight months before I went to India, I felt God telling me that I really had to sacrifice my time and money to go there. These two trips were fully thought out, fully prepared and I knew that I had to be in those specific places.
This time it's different. I knew that God wanted me to do this charity internship, but the trip was a part of that, not the whole. Thus, it wasn't in my consciousness in the same way and I forgot to prepare. However, in the past week I've slowly, but surely, become excited about witnessing this new culture, chatting to these local people and developing a sense of what's going on in this distant country. It's two weeks long and will be a whistle-stop tour. We'll learn a lot, although exhaustion will inevitably occur. We'll have some really beautiful and valuable moments, but also some stressful and challenging ones. I'm excited for what God's going to do and what I'm going to learn. Especially as I'm confident this experience will shape my year. I'm going to have stories to tell and that's worth the travelling.
The conclusion is a bit of a spiritual one. Church for me is a very important part of my life, and over the past few weeks I've been challenged as I pray and wonder about where God wants me to settle. But I've learnt that the distance between God and me does not change. And that's beautiful. His spirit is moving and present when I'm in my house, my office, on a plane and in countries that are the other side of the globe.
Distance: "The more remote part of what is visible or discernible."
I'm turning that on its head and learning that God is the opposite. And that closeness is something that will be really valuable over the next 14 days.
It's time for Africa.
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