Tony Horsfall from Parish Pump Website considers the challenge of change Time for a change I have had my walking boots for a few years now, and they have been faithful companions. We have walked many miles together during that time, on my daily walks as well as on holiday. They are partly responsible for my physical recovery after Covid-19, so they have a place in my heart. They fit me very well, and we have adjusted to one another. But they are very thin now on the soles and heels, and it is reluctantly time for a change. So, one recent Saturday I bought a new pair. They are clean and smart, and fully waterproof. The soles are strong and new. There are no signs of wear and tear. But I know that change is never easy. They will take some time to wear in. They may rub and I may get a blister or two. Occasionally I will long for my old boots, and wonder, ‘Did I make a mistake?’ Hopefully, they will become as much a part of me as my old ones as we tread the miles together. But there is always a risk with something new, Isn’t there? Change is never easy in whatever form it comes. But change is inevitable because life does not stand still, and we have to keep adjusting and adapting and being open to fresh winds of the Spirit. Never more so than in these present, troublesome days. Strangely enough as I have been meditating on this, my reading this morning (Isaiah 9) contained a reference to ‘Every warrior’s boot used in battle … will be destined for burning (v5).’ Oh dear. I’m sure like me, warriors were fond of their boots too and found it hard to part with them. 5
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