Tag Archive for: endurance

Small Swarms, Big Lessons

Yesterday, I set out to walk the 13-mile trail around Loch Leven as part of my training for next month’s West Highland Way adventure and Mary’s Meals.
I’d never walked this far before in one go.
However, it didn’t quite go as planned!
About a mile in, I reached for my phone to take a photo… only to realise I’d left it in the car.
The choice was simple: press on without it or turn back… I turned back.
So, before I’d even really begun, my 13-mile walk had become a 15-mile one.
Lesson #1: preparation matters.
Back on track, the next surprise wasn’t the rain or the wind, but the sky, it wasn’t blue – it was black, with swarms of tiny flying creatures.
At first, I thought they were midges.
But a kindly old gentleman wearing a midge net (he came prepared!) informed me they were in fact Mayflies, millions of them.
They got everywhere: in my nose, ears, eyes. Yuk.
Soldiering on, my baseball cap became my swatting device, fending off thousands.
The first three miles and the final three were the worst.
The “in-between” parts of the walk were very enjoyable, filled with beautiful spots and moments of peaceful bliss.
By the time I got back to the car, nearly 5 hours later, I had discovered a new pain in my left foot, a good measure of all over stiffness, and a few unexpected memories.
But I had done it! Fifteen miles under my belt, and another step closer to being ready for the West Highland Way.

Lessons Learned

Reflecting on the day, I was reminded of a scripture:
“And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.” – Galatians 6:9
Sometimes our efforts are met with unexpected swarms, setbacks, and small irritations.
And sometimes in life, the walk is longer, harder, and more uncomfortable than we had planned.
I kept walking and in the middle of the struggle, there were beautiful peace filled moments, and I found a new strength I didn’t know I had.
My hope is that as we keep walking, through all the swarms and setbacks, we’ll become a little stronger, a little more patient, and a little more prepared for whatever lies ahead.
How do you handle life’s unexpected swarms?
PS Donate here for Marys Meals… https://www.marysmeals.org.uk/fundraising…

When Angels Meet Again

On Saturday evening, I had the opportunity of witnessing something quietly sacred.
I had taken my mum, to a fireside/devotional in Perth.
As we arrived, she spotted the familiar face of a dear old friend, Anne Crook — and, in a moment that felt suspended in time, they gently embraced.
It had been some time since they’d last met, yet the years just seemed to melt away.
Their smiles widened, their voices softened, and they simply 𝒘𝒆𝒓𝒆.
I sat next to them.
Watching them was like watching and listening to two angels.

Together

Two lifelong friends caught up in each other’s presence, laughing, reminiscing, and sharing their news, as if no time had passed at all.
Their friendship reaches all the way back to the early 1960s when, as younger women, they found the restored gospel in Dunfermline and Perth respectively.
Not long after, they served together in the District Primary Presidency, quietly shaping young lives with faith and love.
“…they did walk after the commandments which they had received… and they did love one another.” 4 Nephi 1:15
Decades may have come and gone, but their bond, rooted in shared testimony and service, remains unshakable.
Both lost their husband’s, some years ago.
Gentle. Humble. Enduring. Radiating love.
There was no need for any grandeur or noise.
No spotlight.
Just a quiet sweetness, two women of great faith, simply being together.
For me, it was a holy moment and a privilege to sit with them.
In their warmth, I was reminded of those things that matter most, the beauty of enduring friendships, of lives lived in service, sacred covenants and of the quiet strength of discipleship.
Sometimes, the most powerful moments are the stillest ones.
Who are the quiet angels in your life, the ones who have walked beside you through the years?

A Quiet Strength

One word has been on my mind a lot lately.
…𝑷𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒆.
“…the capacity to accept or tolerate delay, trouble, or suffering without getting angry or upset.”
All around us, I am a witness to adversity, challenges of uncertainty, trials, pressure, and all kinds of tribulation in today’s world.
Daily, I see dear friends, family and many colleagues suffering from all kinds of concerns, including emotional, financial, health, mental health, physical, spiritual and other work-related matters.
Grief at the death of a loved one, low self-esteem or self-doubt, anxiety or depression, loneliness or isolation, struggling with motivation or purpose, marital or family tensions, work related stress or burnout, job dissatisfaction, doubting personal beliefs, chronic illness or pain, recovering from surgery, feeling stuck or like life isn’t going anywhere and on and on…
Is it something to do with the times that we live in?
How does patience play into all of these challenges?
Even after nearly sixty years on planet earth, I have my fair share of patience still to learn.
Thus far, I’ve learned that patience can act like a steady anchor amidst life’s storms.
“Patience is not the ability to wait, but the ability to keep a good attitude while waiting.” – Joyce Meyer
I have also learned to trust in God’s timing and not my own.
To wait with purpose, continue to pray, study, and serve, even when I can’t yet see the results.
We ought to be patient with ourselves, acknowledging both our strengths and our limitations.
As we face life’s choices and decisions, I hope we can exercise careful and sound judgment, making the most of each opportunity that eventually comes along.
It’s easy too, but we must not become disheartened or fall into despair when we are doing all we can.
Instead, my experience has taught me to find contentment in steady progress – even if it comes more slowly than I’d like.
“Rivers know this: there is no hurry. We shall get there some day.” – A.A. Milne, Winnie the Pooh
Patience may not take away the storm, but it can certainly help us stand firm through it.
Where could a little more patience bring peace or strength into your life today?

The Power of Opposition

“Smooth seas do not make skillful sailors” – African Proverb
I have learned that winter is just as necessary as summer.
Work is as good for us as rest.
Uphill is just as important as downhill.
Life includes some sunshine and rain, success and failure, as well as good and evil.
There is a natural law of opposites at play in all of our lives.
Life has taught me that there is “an opposition in all things” – 2 Nephi 2:11
The struggles, adversity, difficulties that we encounter are oftentimes the most powerful teachers we face in life.
I am certain too that discouragement will be a visitor for all of us at some point in life.
Misery can set in, and for some we can get stuck in the mud pretty quickly.
Difficulties can keep us alert and on our toes.
They teach us to fight and prevent us from being over-confident.
Indeed, sometimes we are compelled to be humble.
We can only truly recognise joy because we have also encountered sorrow.
There is growth in opposition
Many times, I’ve learned the hard way, that in every negative, there is always a positive!
“There is no growth without challenge, no triumph without struggle, and no joy without sorrow.” – unknown.
And so, rather than resisting opposition, we can choose to embrace it as a necessary part of our growth.
Setbacks too, can prepare us for something greater.
The hard times can refine us, and the struggles can strengthen us.
Each challenge we face is not a roadblock, but a stepping stone, an opportunity to become wiser, stronger, and more compassionate.
So, when the storms come (and they will), stand firm.
When the road gets steep, take another step.
When darkness falls, remember that morning always comes.
With faith, perseverance, and an open heart, we will not only endure but thrive.
The law of opposition is not meant to break us, it is meant to build us.
And through it all, we learn the greatest truth of all: joy is worth the journey.
How has opposition in your life shaped you into the person you are today?

The Blessing of Waiting…

When a mother is expecting her baby, the anticipation grows with each passing day.

For our daughter Megan, now overdue with her first child, the wait may feel endless.

Much like pregnancy, life itself is full of waiting periods that test our faith and refine our patience – a hot topic in our recent conversations!

The Lord’s Timing

Yet this period of waiting and preparing mirrors a gospel principle we are all called to live by: faith in the Lord’s timing.

Through the gospel of Jesus Christ, we learn that God’s blessings come according to His divine timetable, not ours.

In the scriptures, the word wait means to hope, to anticipate, and to trust.

The scriptures teach us: “For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.” (Hebrews 10:36)

Pregnancy, like life itself, reminds us that much of our joy comes from learning to trust that the Lord knows when blessings should arrive.

Preparation

Just as Megan has prepared her home, her heart, and her body for this new baby, we, too, are asked to prepare spiritually while waiting for answers, blessings, and miracles.

In our home, we have a beautiful painting depicting the Saviour’s parable of the ten virgins (Matthew 25:1-13).

Five were wise and made the most of their waiting time, ensuring they had enough oil for their lamps.

Similarly, waiting for a baby – just like waiting for any of God’s blessings – is a time to spiritually “gather oil.”

For Megan, the waiting has certainly allowed her to grow in patience and hope, enduring her final quiet and sometimes uncomfortable moments, before life changes forever.

For us in life, it’s about staying spiritually ready, trusting that the Lord’s promises will be fulfilled in His way and time.

The baby’s arrival—whether today, tomorrow, or in a few days—will happen at the exact moment God has lovingly planned.

The scriptures teach that God’s timing is always perfect: “To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven.” (Ecclesiastes 3:1)

Just as birth happens on God’s timeline, not ours, so do the blessings we seek in life.

And when they finally come, the waiting and preparing make the joy that much sweeter.

In this life, we are all “waiting” for the ultimate promise: to return to our Heavenly Father and be reunited with our eternal family.

When Megan holds the baby in her arms for the first time, I’m sure the waiting will be but a memory, a beautiful reminder of the blessing of trusting in the Lord’s perfect plan.

What blessings have you discovered during your own seasons of waiting?

Worn Out

After our missionary interviews in Apeldoorn on Thursday, we headed to our hotel room.
It was late afternoon, and I took my shoes off to settle down for a wee nap.
I was pretty tired that afternoon.
Whilst napping, Monic took this photo.
She captured my socks – perfectly!
Little did I know they were in such a threadbare way! ☹
Just like my socks, I admit, I’m starting to feel a little worn out.
My socks reminded me of my shoes from the last few weeks of my mission in the 1980’s.
Whilst serving in Cambridge, England in May of 1985, I remember cutting up cardboard from cereal boxes and putting it in my shoes.
Both shoes had a big, huge hole in them!
Let me the state the obvious, whilst serving a mission, things get 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒏 𝒐𝒖𝒕!
Especially, socks and shoes!

Definition

Worn out; “showing signs of wear, drained of energy, extremely tired; completely exhausted.”
I love this quote from Spencer W. Kimball, “My life is like my shoes – to be worn out in service.”
During His ministry on the earth, Jesus Christ spent His time serving and helping others.
True disciples of Christ do likewise.
Every missionary knows about the importance and value of rendering service and lifting others.
Alma 37:34 states: “Teach them to never be weary of good works, but to be meek and lowly in heart; for such shall find rest to their souls.”
When I’m tired, I slow down, sit still, listen and pray.
Yet, growing old on a mission (or in life) is never easy.
There is so much more to endurance than just surviving to the end!
How we finish a mission, just like a marathon really matters.
Endurance is an important principle found within the doctrine of Jesus Christ.
Enduring to the end, can be one of life’s most difficult challenges, but it can also be one of life’s greatest triumphs.
Enduring signifies “patient continuance in well doing” – Romans 2:7.
I know that it is the joy of being with the missionaries and many others that refreshes me. I also know that never being weary of good works, ultimately brings rest to anyone who may feel a little worn out.
How do you endure when you are feeling a little worn out?

Endurance

Growing older is never easy and it can be challenging.
We all experience ebbs and flows.
Suffering, hardship, trials, adversity are obstacles that will visit all of us in our lifetime.
The scriptures teach us that there must be opposition in all things (2 Nephi 2:11).
It is just a matter of not if, but when, these tests arrive.
Subsequently, how we respond to life’s difficulties is a matter of individual choice.
For many, challenges can come every day.
I marvel at the endurance of long-distance runners.
Family, friends and coaches, ensure they do not endure alone.
Over many years of training and exercise runners develop physical speed, strength and stamina to endure.

Stamina

Stamina is staying power or enduring strength.
For example, you don’t just decide to run a marathon.
Runners must train daily, and slowly build stamina to endure the 26.2-mile distance.
And so, it is with life.
Stick to your task ’til it sticks to you;
Beginners are many, but enders are few.
Honour, power, place and praise
Will always come to the one who stays.
Stick to your task ’til it sticks to you;
Bend at it, sweat at it, smile at it, too;
For out of the bend and the sweat and the smile
Will come life’s victories after a while.
—Author Unknown

Don’t Quit!

We learn to endure by fulfilling our responsibilities and not quitting when things get tough.
Endurance is one of the greatest challenges in life, but it can also be one of our greatest accomplishments.
Just like a runners coach, we all have a shared responsibility to lift and help others to endure, through a simple conversation, a listening ear, a cheerful smile, or words of encouragement.
Do I use hardships as an excuse to withdraw from life, or as a reminder to help someone else in need?

Marathons and Missions – the same, but different

𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐚 𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐚𝐩𝐡𝐨𝐫 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞: it’s long, there’s often discomfort, it requires perseverance, your mindset makes all the difference and the rewards for endurance are simply wonderful!
Mission life requires a lot of self-discipline as you constantly work towards future goals.
I am learning that a huge part of taking part in any marathon, just like mission life, is all about looking after your wellbeing – physically, spiritually, mentally and emotionally – all of which effect your ability to succeed in the mission.
I have also learned that the best marathon runners have a structured daily plan and routine. Sticking to the structure provides a roadmap through the months of service and allows for more balance to focus on what’s truly important and matters most of all.
I have learned too that pushing too hard can impact your immune system and leave you a little weakened and shaken. Maintaining a balance is critical.
In marathons, and in life, sometimes you make great progress, and sometimes your progress is slowed to a crawl, setbacks are inevitable.
Running a marathon takes a long time, and yet time in the mission field fly’s by incredibly fast.
Participating in a marathon is exhausting – enough said!
One of my biggest lessons thus far – Small steps work more effectively over the long run.
7 months ago, I wrote a short article that mission life is a marathon, not a sprint. Now I know that for a fact, but I love every minute of it! 🙂

Its a marathon, not a sprint!

“𝐈𝐭𝐬 𝐚 𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐧, 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐚 𝐬𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐭!” has been the counsel shared several times as Monic and I commence our service as Mission Leaders.
Fortunately, in the mission home, we have some exercise equipment, including a treadmill, which helps us to keep in shape physically!
I have however, never run a marathon and wasn’t a great sprinter either, but the phrase has been playing on my mind.

Key Things

A few things I do know, is that to run a marathon, several key things are usually in play.
– A Training Plan, with a few stretching goals is essential.
– Accept that there will be many obstacles along the way.
– Pace yourself and you need time to recover.
– It isn’t an easy thing to do!
– Endurance & stamina are critical, so you can do it for a long time.
On the other hand, and I am happy to stand corrected, but I guess sprinters don’t hold back – they give everything in short, fast, explosive surges of energy. They have lots of training too, but it is a different mindset altogether. We may need some of that mindset along the way, in order to get some key tasks done!
In the Book of Mormon, there is some great counsel from King Benjamin in Mosiah 4:27 – it reads “And see that all these things are done in wisdom and order; for it is not requisite that a man should run faster than he has strength. And again, it is expedient that he should be diligent, that thereby he might win the prize; therefore, all things must be done in order.”
Perhaps the message is simply this – diligent, steady and consistent progress along our mission journey will be far more productive than short surges of extreme activity, followed by long periods of recovery.
One thing is for sure – I’m grateful for the advice and the exercise equipment too, it really does make a difference to listen and do! It is certainly improving our physical condition by building some stamina and endurance!
What’s your mindset today? A marathon runner or a sprinters?

Endurance

ooh, ouch, Ouch! OUCH! 𝗢𝗨𝗖𝗛!

Maybe I’m just a little adverse to Dentist and Doctor surgeries. I’m not a great fan of either, getting prodded and poked isn’t high on my list of favourite things to do. A wimp, I hear you say!

I had to have blood taken for a medical test last week. As instructed I’d come fasting and hadn’t eaten or drank anything for about 15 hours. After some pleasant introductions, it was time to take the blood. I wasn’t anxious about it as I’d given blood for tests a few times before at a Doctors surgery. This time was to be a little different.

He started in my left arm. The first attempt, no joy. Then to my right arm, again no success. Back to my left arm, once again, it was fruitless! Back to my right arm, another attempt – still nothing. “Bone dry” he said! By this time, I was starting to feel like a pin cushion. “I’ll have to take it from the back of your hand” the Doctor said (5th attempt). A little more painful for sure, but finally, at last, the blood started to flow! What a relief!

There are many challenges in life…

Sometimes we all just have to endure some pretty painful experiences for a little while, before the results start to flow!

What painful moments have you had to endure?