Believing

I have good reason to be thankful just now, to those people in and around my life who have continued to believe in me, at a time when I haven't always been very good at believing in myself. I don't want to say much more, just that it's such a precious thing, to be believed in.

For me, coming from what six months or so ago was still quite a deep dip of depression that has carried with it a strong sense of worthlessness, to know there are people who continue to believe in me and who are prepared to trust me with things - tasks, responsibilities, pastoral care - is something that is at once humbling, challenging and energising. Certainly it leaves me wanting to make sure that their belief in me is justified and repaid; and so, even if I can't quite find it in me yet to fully believe that I am what others see me to be, or that I can deliver what they think I can achieve, I'm going to work at getting as near to it as I can.

From the faith perspective, to know that there are people - friends, family, colleagues - who believe in me helps me to feel that God may believe in me too. And that surely gives me something to match up to, something to which to aspire. So there in a nutshell is my starting mark for this testing and training season of Lent; now let's see how I can run!