A Surprise Travelling Companion

Dear Friends,

A couple of weeks ago a group of six dads from the school set off to Three Cliffs Bay on the Gower for a boys surfing weekend. An e-mail the night before to sort out transport had caused considerable amusement as to the identity of a surprise travelling companion when, arranging for someone to pick up Chris and Tim, an extra ‘t’ inadvertently appeared at the end of Chris’s name.

Anyway, off we went and we had the most fantastic weekend. Three Cliffs has to be one of the most beautiful places on earth, the weather was extraordinarily mild and sunny, the water remarkably warm (in wet suits!), the surf most definitely ‘up’, meals eaten outside unbelievably tasty, the fire on the beach under an enormous full moon quite unforgettable, and late night games of Perudo against (im) probably the best Perudo player in the world quite an education.

The surfing was excellent. We spent the best part of eight hours in the water all told, and although most of us got to know the bottom of our boards considerably better than the top, those few exhilarating seconds standing up were worth all the wipe-outs.

It was great to have time to chat over a beer or an excellent whisky; there was a huge amount of laughter … as well as a huge amount of potatoes. All too soon it was time to come home.

So, where is the “spiritual message” in all of this?

For me, it is simply that God loves to give us good things: every view, every meal, every good conversation, every friendship, God just loves to give all the time, whoever we are, wherever we are. As we were taught to sing at school: ‘All good gifts around us are sent from heaven above.’

I suppose what I’m saying is that our travelling companion did come along after all. He always does.

Thanks for a great weekend, boys.

Here’s to the next one.

Tim Ling Vicar, St. Swithun’s Church Bathford

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