Light

I have casually kept track of her progress.  Web cams, online journals and the occasional film strip from a fly-by all paint a picture of something I truly do not understand.  How does someone half my age spend seventy plus days alone circumventing the world in a sail boat?  Ignore the logistical challenge; think of the emotional choices being made again and again across the days along at sea.  The stress is beyond anything I could imagine or describe.  The uncertainty of what might, could, and will happen next would grind on your mind, heart, and soul relentlessly.  Unending depths of uncertainty tearing at the fibers of everything you are.  Yet there is always light.
 
Thinking back through the challenges everyone thought were impossible.  First it was running a marathon.  Then the ultra-marathons came.  Now twenty-four plus hour races can be found for those seeking a larger challenge.  Everywhere one looks there are hurdles, obstacles, and challenges greater than at anytime in the world.  It is as if some cannot be constrained by the challenges of daily living.  The alternative of running from the mundane is possible, but the point remains that each faces our own marathon.  The question then and now is the same; will we run the race or give up before the line is in sight?
 
In my experience the key to any challenge is hope.  Do we believe it is there?  Can we catch a glimpse?  Will we let ourselves experience, hold onto, and treasure the light it brings?
 
Some think hope is a simple process.  In my steps it is actually the hardest part!  Many see yet are unable or unwilling to hold onto the light that makes all the difference.  Jesus’ observation is was and is true.  “For a brief time still, the light is among you.  Walk by the light you have so darkness doesn't destroy you.  If you walk in darkness, you don't know where you're going.”  (John 12.35)  The briefness of our days defines the boundaries of opportunity.  God’s hand reaches out.  Will we grasp the light?