At The Half-Way Point: A Dryden Update

You ever played foot-golf?

I didn’t even know there was such a sport until about a year or so ago. A couple who are also friends of ours had actually gone and enjoyed the activity. So recently my wife and I joined them in having a go at the leisure activity. I don’t boast about things (often), but I thought I would have a good chance at the game because I used to play football and thought some of the principles would give me the advantage. As it happened, my wife won the game. The secret to her success – which even I acknowledge was no fluke – was down to her methodical and consistent approach to each round. Where I would have the occasional good approach and mess up the placement, or a decent placement after messing up the approach, my beloved would just plug away unspectacularly but effectively and efficiently. She won at the first time of playing and deserved the win. I have absolutely no sense of bitterness about losing to her at all (he says looking towards heaven and asking for mercy).

Afterwards as we sat together to share a meal together, we got to thinking about 2019 so far. July starting indicates we’ve already had the first half of the year, which was quite something to consider. I am at the place now where I can fondly recall things that happened to me 25 years ago, 15 years ago, 5 years ago and yet looking to recall what I’ve done in the last six months took a while. Thankfully there were sufficient bits and pieces to refresh my memory of the year so far.

The conclusion I reached was that although this is not as yet the best year of my life, there are loads of reasons to really be happy about what’s been going on. Among the highlights was the tutoring that featured in those six months and really provided a lot of good interactions and experiences. That’s been great.

Another great highlight of the year has been the renewed sense of desire for God that has been a lot more apparent in my approach to work. Giving myself set times to centre myself on the purposes of God at work has done me the world of good when I could have veered into a low opinion of my place there. There’s a lot to be said about consciously being aware of God in the workplace and renewing that reality has been something delightful.

Physical conditioning has been a theme over the year, but in the last month in particular the exercise element of things have stepped up a gear for me. I’ve had great support from my first born daughter as a spar in the circuit training. Embedding it as a part of my lifestyle is still a work in progress, but it’s great having that encouragement practically at hand when I get tired.

The Dryden family are really growing. This year has seen the older girls take stes towards pursuing their own delights. It’s fascinating observing that and interacting with them on the issue as they deepen their commitment. In a vivid way, that’s left the youngest to forge her own way in the world and that level of independence on her part intrigues me.

Praying more intentionally with my wife on a few projects past and yet to come has drawn me a lot closer to her and made me realise to a deeper degree how privileged I am to be her husband. Valuing marriage has never meant more to me than it does now and having the opportunity to support her in the endeavours she pursues as well as knowing she supports me unswervingly is a pleasant place to be in life.

I’ve thoroughly enjoyed blogging over the year so far. Writing is such a joyful and cathartic experience for me and not just writing but being able to regularly publish the thoughts for you to read and comment where  possible. I’m loving that to a large degree as well.

It is only half-way through the year, though and there’s enough to suggest that there’s reason for even more hope in what there is to remain in the year. There’s a particularly significant project coming up towards the end of this onth that I look forward to sharing more about as the time comes. The new tutoring season begins in September and I’m eager to be ready to offer an even more improved quality of support to the students. I love the blogging and there’s a hope that maybe …. well I’ll let the story tell the story in due course on that score.

Like my wife at foot-golf, life at the moment is about learning to be diligent, consistent and effective and efficient so that at the end of the day, the week, the month or the season I’ll be able to look on achieving progress in what God calls me to be and do. Thanks for your prayers. positive thoughts and ongoing support however you can. It’s all appreciated.

Good though the first half has been, here’s to an even better second half.

(Photo by Jonathan Pielmayer on Unsplash)

For His Name’s Sake

Shalom

C. L. J. Dryden