A Simple Word
When our running coach placed three cones at various intervals on a very steep hill I knew from the prevailing groan of my running group that all of us were in for a torrid morning of training. My thoughts quickly turned into reality as the group endured a series of sprints up the hill – each sprint covering varying distances according to the placement of the cones.
Although 5.30 am, it was still quite hot – well, if you are running up a hill numerous times I suppose it would be hot but the sweat flowed freely as did the heavy breathing of my companions in pain.
I looked at my watch – huge mistake – as I realized we were only halfway through the session. Each sprint up the hill seems like the hill was both growing miraculously in length and gradient.
Then something happened that took me by surprise – it was not that everyone was not both friendly and encouraging because the group is like that. However each of us was working so hard up this hill people around us seemed a blur, all of us struggling to run as fast as possible to the top of the hill and get sufficient breath back on the return down the hill to do it again.
As I ran up the hill with one of my fellow ‘inductees onto the hill of pain’, she said to me ‘Well done – that was a great run!’ That one comment really made a difference to me.
In the midst of this woman’s pain going up the hill she encouraged me. I suddenly felt stronger, I wanted to try harder, my legs felt a little better and once again I realized the power of encouragement.
I must admit in the midst of my pain I am often too self absorbed to see anyone else in any form of pain. Yet someone did and I was the recipient. It is somewhat easy, I think, to encourage when all is well in your life but to encourage when you yourself are walking through the valleys is quite another thing.
Yet the power of it is priceless. Sometimes out of the pain we speak words of pain and hurt yet the truly gracious among us still speak words of life and encouragement in the midst of their pain. That is I suspect the truest test of inner selflessness and great character. That encouragement made my day!
Making Your Mark
Last week was for me a really wonderful time – my son Nicholas and I went on a road trip. Some thought it would end up in bloodshed from the two of us travelling together for nearly a week and others looked at us rather strangely when we told them what we were going to do.
It was fantastic – we drove the Great Ocean Road in Victoria together. An experience, to be honest, that I will never forget!
One of the things we did was to visit Erskine Falls near Lorne. Even though it was bitterly cold and raining Nicholas and I climbed down the pathway of stairs and saw the truly magnificent sight of these falls.
There is a viewing station at the bottom where you look up at the falls – photos are taken and the platform makes it quite safe. Yet as I stood there I noticed something that I didn’t expect. The falls are in quite pristine country and beautiful picturesque surroundings provide the backdrop. It is creation at it’s best!
Yet on every part of the viewing platform people had carved their initials or names. Not a single aspect was not anointed with the marks of human hands. People obviously had taken knives of all sorts to the bottom of the falls where this platform was located and carved their mark.
I looked at the names. Why would you do such a thing? Is this a case where our instinct and desire to make a mark has gone to the extreme? I do think we were created to make a mark but sometimes in an endeavour to do just that we tend to do things that are excessive, destructive, damaging and just plain wrong.
For me, I learnt a lesson that day at Erskine Falls – even though I want to make my mark I need to constantly be mindful of crossing that line between healthy desire and destructive conduct. Sometimes it is, methinks, a fine line but once crossed it is like the carved names on the timber platform – scars are left. I don’t want to be the cause of other people’s scars because of a craving to make a mark.
Noise Level
I don’t think that noise has ever really concerned me to be honest. Yet something happened that may well change that opinion. I hope it is not that I am just getting old!
Recently I was sitting in a café and there were a group of ladies sitting at a table near me. This is not an uncommon sight yet what happened next was for me at least, somewhat unusual. As they talked the noise level started to get increasingly louder. In fact people at near by tables were shifting tables to get away from the noise.
It was impossible not to hear what they were saying. Each one of them was getting louder as they aggressively, with a rather colourful turn of phrase, criticised their husbands, relatives, schools where their children attended, individual teachers, life in general and other people that seemed to get on the wrong side of this bunch of women.
The more they criticised the louder it became.
Finally I too had enough – not necessarily at the level of noise but the level of criticism. Like many other customers I left the café.
For some reason I couldn’t get this scene out of my head. I started to think about the role of noise in our lives. Now I know you are thinking, ‘This boy has way too much time on his hands!
Over the years I have observed, it seems that the most vocal get all the attention. The one with the loudest opinion dominates the room. The one who complains the loudest gets action. The one who whinges the loudest gets the sympathy. The vocal minority gets their own way yet they are really only exactly that – a minority!
However I have also observed that those who exercise few words and who are often silent usually are people who work the hardest, volunteer the most, endure hardship with dignity, serve with distinction, rarely are offended, are comfortable with who they are, love life, enjoy the shadows, don’t need constant approval and recognition and display a depth of character that doesn’t need words to identify.
Perhaps the lesson for me is to value the silent among us – they are worthy of respect, recognition and honour. When they do speak they are people well worth listening too. I also thought how noisy am I and should I lower the level not just of the noise but of what actually I am saying.
Who?
It caught my attention a little by surprise to be honest – I overheard someone ask ‘Who are your heroes?’ I was surprised by my reaction because as a history buff I can recite the heroes. Those leaders that changed the course of history and made a difference always come to my mind.
Yet instead of those people some other names came to mind. Perhaps I am influenced by my recent visit to China but here are my heroes – I won’t use their last names – Kyla, Alison, Karen, Anna, Justin, Lisa and Samantha. ‘Who?’ I hear you say if you don’t recognize those names?
Perhaps that’s the point – they are not known to the millions, not the latest conference speakers, not the material for books or magazine articles although they should be, not materially wealthy, not corporate flyers, they don’t speak and influence huge crowds – well you know what I mean?
They are a group of people who have given their lives to leave their country of birth, their homes, their families, their comforts, their opportunities for wealth and privilege in order to make the lives of disabled orphans enhanced. Day after day – year after year – that is what they do. No self seeking publicity, no self promotion, no power tantrums and each of them would be embarrassed at the slightest mention of the tag hero.
Are heroes those among us who dedicate their lives to the enrichment of another’s life without the expectation of reward or recognition? Usually unrecognizable faces in the crowd who you would pass without even noticing? There is a vast army of them out there – far more than the self indulgent celebrity army.
So to Kyla, Alison, Karen, Anna, Justin, Lisa and Samantha and the many other heroes that live quietly in the shadows enjoying their hidden status let me say thank you. You inspire me, you humble me and you motivate me greatly. Your unassuming modestly and humility is a virtue worth aspiring to.
Your selflessness draws me from the limelight into the shadows.
Your capacity to serve others propels me to my knees with a towel and bowl of water in hand.
Your reluctance for self promotion drives me to hiddenness.
You are indeed my heroes! Thank you!
The Tank Man Moment
I can still remember the moment as I and millions of people held their breath as one nameless, faceless man stood before a column of 18 tanks in Tiananmen Square China on June 5, 1989 some 22 years ago almost to the day of this blog appearing.
Almost nobody knew his name at least nobody outside his immediate friends and to this day despite numerous attempts to identity him nobody knows who he was or what happened to him even one hour after what he did appeared in the world’s living rooms.
Yet for those of us who saw it on the TV news it was spellbinding. A small, unexceptional figure in long pants and white shirt, carrying what looks to be his shopping, puts himself before an approaching tank, with a line of 17 more tanks behind it. The tank swerves right; he, to block it, moves left. The tank swerves left; he moves right. Then this anonymous bystander clambers up onto the vehicle of war and says something to its driver.
He jumps off and is gathered by his friends never to be seen or heard from again.
Recently I watched the TV footage again and realized that history is littered by single individuals who, prepared to give their all, made an astonishing difference. This man known only as ‘the tank man’ made a difference – he draw attention to China and what was happening there. No media outlet did as much nor any politician, activist or diplomat – he did it. Our Prime Minister at the time, Bob Hawke, cried but the tank man made a difference.
I doubt if any of us will stand before a row of tanks yet I was prompted to think once again of making a difference. It all sounds so humdrum – heard it all before – ‘yeah making a difference’ yet my heart was stirred to think again about it.
I have discovered that making a difference is usually spontaneous, sudden, comes upon us in a flash, instantaneous and happens so quickly. I am sure the tank man didn’t plan for days his appearance before the tanks. If asked I wonder if he would say – ‘it just happened!’
The opportunities to make a difference are always before us – the door opens just a little and the moment is there to be seized. Its up to you but as for me I am looking for my tank man moment – albeit without the tanks.
A champion defined!
Two weeks ago on a Sunday night I, with a couple of million Aussies, watched the great master Roger Federer play and win the Australian Tennis Open. Andy Murray didn’t play that badly – in fact he was good, very good, at times BUT Roger was simply brilliant and breathtaking.Who will forget the tears of Murray and the fantastic comment he made – ‘I can cry like Roger, it’s a shame I can’t play like Roger.’ To be honest Andy Murray will have his day – he will hold a ‘Slam’ trophy high one day without a doubt.
The weekend of the Open Simon Barnes wrote an article in ‘The Times’, which if I have read it correctly makes two points very clearly. Both are related in fact! Barnes comments, ‘You do not get great result without great preparation.’ I can recall Jack Nicholas legendary golfer who after winning a major was asked by a reporter about ‘that lucky shot on the ….. hole’. To which Nicholas replied, ‘It was very lucky if you disregard forty years of practice and preparation.’ When I see a champion I see the countless hours in the gym, practicing shots, running, cycling and a whole lot more unseen and unheard.
For me as a Pastor I speak most weekends – behind the actual talk there is the seemingly never-ending preparation of prayer, reading, writing, thinking, re-writing, crafting, re-writing again and then praying more. The list could go on. Nothing happens by accident. Sometimes I am tempted to take short cuts but every time – the results speak for themselves. Without the preparation – the results just are not there.
Then Barnes said this – ‘When we celebrate a champion, we don’t celebrate the victory alone. We also celebrate the man, the woman, the whole person.’ At last someone has said it. It is not enough to be good on the court, the pitch, or the playing field but outside of the actual ‘playing’ one lives a life that lacks integrity and character. Being a champion as Barnes notes is ‘not just a reflection of your talent it is a reflection of your life.’
Without being in any way judgemental – that’s why Roger Federer is indeed a champion and there is a gap between him and the Tiger Woods’ and John Terry’s of the sporting world. When Federer lifted the trophy he also lifted high something far more valuable – his life – his whole complete life – preparation, integrity and character. A lesson for us all!
Together
I joined a running group – yep – it just happened. Before I knew it I had signed up and then I realized that the signing up was the easy part. Now I had to actually turn up – 7.00 am Saturday morning!
Saturday arrived and off I went – freezing cold, gathered together in a basement car park were 25 fellow devotees of a new fitness regime. Me – the only male – now that seemed to me to be a problem but no turning back now. The talk was nervous but interesting as it is amazing what people tell you when they are nervous. We talked about why we were here – new running gear that had been purchased for the class – weight lose and other confessions that perhaps on another day would not have been disclosed.
I was nervous – no running for about 7 months made me see every other person as a brilliant runner even if they weren’t.
We were off – the trainers spread themselves throughout the pack. ‘Run at your own pace’ we were told – 6.5 kms is the aim but ‘don’t worry if you can’t’ as the trainers would pick us up if we can’t make it.
I started at the back of the pack but gradually I realized much to my surprise I was keeping up – that was a real shock. People started to drop back and then it happened, I found myself in the lead pack – 4 of us left with one trainer. I felt good until the young, very young trainer said, ‘OK you are the runners of the group – let’s break away – 6.5 kms here we come’. ‘What do you mean break away?’ I thought – then it happened, the pace increased and the rest of the pack was left far behind. I was still with the leading group – it was a miracle.
Nat, was the trainer running with us – she encouraged us as we ran. We compared ages on the run – 25, 27, 32, 36, 36 and then me 50. I was now in trouble as we approached the half way mark. The last hill had taken its toll.
I was starting to fade then Nat said something, “We finish as a team – all of us – come on, we aren’t leaving anyone behind.”
Wow, finish as a team – together. Those words had power for me – immediately I was energized. I held onto those words and despite the pain we all finished together.
We didn’t know each other at the start of the morning but now there was a bond between us – we made it together.
Why do many of us attempt to do life alone? I wouldn’t have made the run alone – I would have faded but ‘together’ something was achieved and I know everyone in the group felt the same thing. None of us were going to be left behind.
Nat taught me something on Saturday – she taught me the meaning of being together, staying together, finishing together and what can be achieved together. I thought it was about the run – it became a lesson far deeper than just running. Can’t wait until the next ‘run’.
