Endings and Beginnings

For three years now I have been travelling weekly some 180 miles each way to work. I am not complaining about the work or the people I work with or the place at which I work. Rather I feel blessed to have had work offered to me at a difficult economic time. For two of the three years I worked almost full time - maybe nearer to 2/3 time - but this year it's been nearer 1/2. However, the travelling and constant staying way from home has taken its toll and the biggest part of me is glad that it's finally drawing to a close. I find it harder to get in the car on a Monday morning and point its nose North. The journey I make is from South Wales to North East Wales and the South / North Wales road infrastructure is pretty poor. I am faced with a Motorway M4 / M50 / M6 / M56 / M53 (which route is notorious for delays and heavy traffic for most of its Northern section) or alternatively a choice of two very beautiful scenic routes either through Mid Wales or via Shropshire. The North South journey is a no-brainer - Shropshire beats the pants off the bottleneck that is Newtown any day - coming up is a different matter. (It's ironic that the Welsh assembly Government have approved a Newtown bypass in the coming year). It is interesting that Shropshire suffers most from the seasonal agricultural traffic. The Shropshire farmers all seem to have the biggest towing trailers that money can buy and the year proceeds through hay, combine harvesters, potatoes, apples and on a Monday morning the livestock trip from the Leominster / Ludlow area to markets.

So I have learned to be patient and equipped with a well packed ipod. Alongside music I have listened to university courses on The New Testament Gospels and Epistles, Tolkien. C.S. Lewis and also a couple of audio thrillers - The Scarecrow and Nine Dragons by Michael Connelly. Then there is BBC Radio 4 which I enjoy. Recently I have listened with great delight to a load of sermon material by Tim Keller which has been a blessing as I've travelled.

The Shropshire route also has the advantage of a good fish and chip shop en route and in the summer a couple of delightful country coffee shops which help to break up the journey. The rural routes also have the advantage of passing through my home town of Brecon where my brother still lives and where I occasionally call. It's always good to see him.

So now it's all coming to an end. For all its blessings I will not miss the travelling. I cannot deny that I will miss the work and the people that I have worked with. But I also look forward to being at home. Home where the best wife in the world has patiently put up with my wanderings for something like 8 out of the past 10 years. Lot's of things to catch up on - painting , decorating - the list of DIY stuff goes on and on. I think this will be the third time I've finished work but if I've learned something it's simply this - it's great just to be at home. There's nothing to beat it! Pity that we often have to find that out by being away from it so much.

So this is also a new beginning and that also brings its own challenges and excitement. God has been good to me in so many ways and I give thanks to Him for so many blessings. I wonder what he has in store for me in the time ahead. The time I have and the paths I tread are in His hands - what a relief to know and lean on that!