Saturday Catch-Up - 16th March 2019

"I get knocked down, but I get up again
You're never gonna keep me down
I get knocked down, but I get up again
You're never gonna keep me down..."
(lyrics from 'Tubthumping" by Chumbawamba)

(sigh)
I sprained my ankle on Tuesday. However, it didn't stop me. I got up again, and carried on. I've been through so much over the last few months, so I'm not going to let a little bruising and a little pain get in my way.

So I carry on.

A bit slower than usual, however I am still going.

Bruce Wayne: I wanted to save Gotham. I've failed.
Alfred: Why do we fall, sir? So that we can learn to pick ourselves up.
Bruce: You still haven't given up on me?
Alfred: Never.
(dialogue from 'Batman Begins' movie, 2005)

Isaiah 41:10 (NIV)
So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Normality

Today was a milestone. It was a normal day.

That means I didn't have to do anything out of the ordinary simply to get through the day because I'm recovering from that broken ankle I suffered late last year. No walking stick to carry around now - no changes to the trains I've been taking just to ensure I get a seat - no dependence on buses - no more need to carry painkillers everywhere!

Sure, if I overdo things I still tend to pay the price, but it's good to know my body is now able to cope with the basic stresses of working life.

Normal service is resumed. Or as normal as it usually gets around here.  :)

Back To Reality

Having been seen by the consultant and finally released from my plaster cast, I have been told that I can now return to work. It seems that my convalescence is over, ending even as quickly as it started. I'm travelling up to work this morning.

Time now to get back to reality and get back to grips with the world. The reality is that I'm feeling greatly in need of His grace today. I'm sure that's a good thing, but it doesn't make today's journey any easier.

Prayer support today will be most welcome.

Hebrews 13:5 (Good News Translation)

For God has said, "I will never leave you; I will never abandon you."

Emerging

I'm coming to the end of my period of convalescence. The next step is to look forward to emerging from the home where I have been cocooned for the last six weeks, regaining my independence and resuming my place back in 'the real world'. (Okay, so 'cocooned' isn't strictly true, but I have been reliant on others to run me around much more than is usual. It will be nice to get my hands on my car keys once again. Perception is everything!). Prayers are appreciated for Wednesday, which is when I see the specialist again.

The occasion seems a bit like starting the New Year all over again!

When attempting to ready myself for a return to 'normal service', I have been challenged by a prayer which I read on a blog lately, and quote it today. I've rewritten this slightly.

Lord, remove the obstacles in my life that prevent me from seeing You. Help me to see Your beauty with fresh eyes today. If there are things and/or people in my life who are blocking my blessings - please move them aside. I declare that 2011 will be a year full of abundance and overflow and I don't want anything standing in the way of that! Amen.

Please stand by.

“We will be restoring normality just as soon as we are sure what is normal anyway.” - Douglas Adams.

In Search Of Joy

First, there was the incapacity of a broken ankle, restricting the things I could do. This was followed by the sheer inconvenience of the bout of sickness that prevented me from going to the Corps yesterday. I could not believe how low I ended up feeling by the evening!

It was clear this morning that I needed a jump-start, something to snap me back to normality. I need a little 'joie de vivre' - so I set out to find it today. This is what I found...

Nehemiah 8:10 (New Living Translation)

And Nehemiah continued, “Go and celebrate with a feast of rich foods and sweet drinks, and share gifts of food with people who have nothing prepared. This is a sacred day before our Lord. Don’t be dejected and sad, for the joy of the Lord is your strength!”

After a little while I realised that what I needed was the 'joy of the Lord'. That's what I've been lacking the most.... not the physical feasting that we enjoy at this time of year (there's been plenty there!), but a feasting on God's word, to acquire strength and wisdom, so I can be more effective in doing His will. As my body seeks to recuperate, to regain strength, I have somehow neglected to keep my spirit fed. As I have sought assistance from others to do some basic tasks, I have clearly neglected to seek from God that assistance that I need to live. I have been running low on Joy.

I'm working on this now.

Making A Difference

"One man can make a difference..." - Wilton Knight (Richard Basehart) from the original pilot of 'Knight Rider' (1982)

I have spent an interesting week at home, reviewing the past year over and over again in my mind. An unfortunate side-effect of my period of recuperation is the sudden acquisition of bucket-loads of spare time. I can't drive; can't do those little odd jobs in the house. I am encouraged by family to 'take it easy'. So I took time to catch up with friends and relatives, find up what they are up to. At this time of year, you get updates via cards, or on Facebook.

Unfortunately, this made me feel quite sad. I started taking myself to task for all the things that I have failed to do during this year. Friends with which I have lost contact; family members who tease you about some event or other you've missed; good opportunities that slip through your grasp or pass you by. All those things danced around in my mind.

I spent some time in prayerful reflection of all these things. The words of 1 Peter 5:8-9 came to mind while I was doing this. And - with His help -I realised that there is quite another way of looking at this...

Instead of concentrating on those things that I failed to do, I realised that I should also be looking at all those things that I actually did! All the places I went to. What about considering all the people that I helped this year by doing the things I do - who would be there for them if I didn't do what I do?

Yes, there are things I can't do, can't seem to find the time to do. Sorry if I let you down. I'm trying the best way that I know to make a difference in this world by what I do in His name. I want to make a difference - and to continue to do so in 2011.

Can one man make a difference? Yes, I can.

"It's easy to make a buck. It's a lot tougher to make a difference." - Tom Brokaw

"Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does." - William James

This is my favourite...

"I am a little pencil in the hand of a writing God who is sending a love letter to the world." - Mother Teresa

1 Peter 5:8-9 (New International Version, ©2010)

Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.

Happy New Year.

Seeking After Truth

Sitting here on the sofa, leg raised, waiting for your broken bones to knit together, is in fact incredibly frustrating. Your mind races ahead of you all of the time, and because you cannot do so much yourself, you end up sending family members on little errands to assist you. I think my family are already a little tired of this! However, that may not be happening so much this week, as much of the time I'm going to be on my own while the family is out doing other things. It's that time of year!

I don't know about you, but whenever I am on my own, I tend to take after Mary and I sit and ponder on particular things. With so much time on my hands at the moment, this week I have been sitting and pondering one of the ways that I often describe myself - as a 'seeker after truth'...

It's often difficult to separate truth from fiction: I understand that people sometimes circulate what they believe to be 'news' without realising that what is being circulated isn't in fact the truth. It is such an eye-opener when you come face-to-face with the truth, because sometimes the real facts bear little relation to what in fact is being touted as 'fact'.

A case in point? Here's one from history, as recorded in BBC's programme 'QI', one of my favourite TV shows. Who invented the telephone? I remember being taught at school that it was Alexander Graham Bell, however we are now taught that the actual inventor is in doubt. Many claim it was Antonio Meucci, an inventor from Florence who unfortunately did not manage to finalise the patent on his new invention. Bell did. This fact was only formally acknowledged in 2004.

I'd rather have the truth in any situation. Not necessarily to make me any more comfortable, but just so I have a reliable base-line.

If you would be a real seeker after truth, it is necessary that at least once in your life you doubt, as far as possible, all things - Rene Descartes

John 8:31-32 (New International Version, ©2010)

To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

Falling Over ... Again

A little after I posted up the first of my contributions to my recent Christmas Carol article, someone rather unexpected happened.

I slipped over and fractured my ankle. An anticipated six weeks in plaster.

I don't know what is worse. The pain from the ankle; the lack of mobility that now slows me right down to a mere crawl; the realisation that I am now able to do so much less than I had originally planned this December. Anything I can do I will still do, but the list of possible jobs is greatly reduced. But I am still able to do something. I need to do something.

My mind still works, however the body struggles and fails to keep up.  I've had some recent experience of this following my little tumble in January 2009, recorded here . I may be down, but don't count me out yet.

Psalm 37:23-24 (New International Version, ©2010)
The LORD makes firm the steps of the one who delights in him;
though he may stumble, he will not fall, for the LORD upholds him with his hand.

I Get Knocked Down...

"I get knocked down
But I get up again
You're never going to keep me down."
Tubthumping, by Chumbawamba

I've had a curious week this week, as I've been under instructions from my doctor to take it easy, and unable to rush around as much as I'm used to. I've been dependent on painkillers to make me comfortable, hugging a hot water bottle to my injured side like a child hugs a favourite teddy. My sleep pattern has been broken, and I find I haven't been able to sleep in my usual position, which is strangely alarming. And I've had bucket-loads of time on my hands - ideal, as Chris and I are set to attend a Salvation Army conference next weekend. It's been a time of healing, both physically and mentally, and I've prayed and read a lot this week.

Today is Saturday, and I'm starting to gear myself up to normality, getting ready for go back into harness next week. However, things are strangely different in my mind, and I am encouraged that things need to be different if I seek to move forward in my Christian walk. God's timing is, as ever, perfect. Romans 8:28 informs me that "all things are working together for good" if we love the Lord. Is my stumble on the path therefore something that God has used this week?

2 Corinthians 4:8-10 (New Living Translation)
We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed. Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies.

All stop!

Sometimes you have to do more than just slow down. Sometimes you are stopped right in your tracks!

It got so bad on Monday that I decided to go to my doctor. If you know me well, you know things have to get really bad for me to make such a decision, and just as well... the 'little tumble' that I took last week which caused me to slow down did more than just knock the wind out of me. My doctor confirmed yesterday that I had cracked two ribs, and so I'm at home now on painkillers and strict orders to take it easy. I don't know what hurts more; my ribs or the fact that I'm so restricted in what I can do!

My body may need healing but my mind is still active, so I'm steadily working through a pile of books that I've been meaning to read. And that should mean I will have plenty to blog about soon.

Psalm 103:1-5 (NIV)

Praise the LORD, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits - who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.

Slow down

The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy) is a song by Simon and Garfunkel, which is on the top of my mind today. The first verse goes:

Slow down, you move too fast.
You got to make the morning last.
Just kicking down the cobble stones.
Looking for fun and feelin' groovy.

I've found I've had to slow down today - following my little tumble last week I just can't seem to pick up any speed! I find I've still got plenty to do but I find I just have to slow right down in order to get anywhere. And just for the record I'd like to add that I don't feel particularly 'groovy' either!

It doesn't help matters when I know that my friends and colleagues have been telling me of the importance of slowing down for a while. I just wish that I hadn't learnt this lesson in such a *painful* fashion!

Picking Yourself Up...

It's very icy underfoot at the moment, and the gritters are out in the evenings. However, you have to be so careful even walking along the streets - one wrong step and you can find yourself on the ground.

Unfortunately it even happened to me this week - thankfully there was no-one around to see my inelegant gymnastics and I seem to have got away with only minor bruising. However, I had somewhere to go and after checking that nothing was broken I got up and carried on down the path, with the words from my previous post, 'Never Mind, Go On', resounding in my mind.

On reflection the words of General Albert Orsborn come to mind. We all have times where we fail, stumble or falter. The important thing is to carry on...

Saviour, if my feet have faltered
On the pathway of the cross,
If my purposes have altered
Or my gold be mixed with dross,
O forbid me not thy service,
Keep me yet in thy employ.
Pass me through a sterner cleansing
If I may but give thee joy!

All my work is for the Master,
He is all my heart’s desire;
O that he may count me faithful
In the day that tries by fire!

SASB 522

Albert Orsborn (1886-1967)

Image: FreeDigitalPhotos.net