You may have seen the advert on TV for the Royal Marine Commandos, which asks potential recruits something along the lines of whether they are tough enough. Maybe sometimes life itself should carry a similar question or health warning.

Yesterday we buried S, a woman who could no longer see any purpose in her life after her son's death in a road accident just before Christmas. I did his funeral too. He never made it to the age of legally being recognised as an adult, and she failed to reach the age that a popular saying states it begins at. There is no other word than tragic, and yet her death showed a different side to the phrase “a love stronger than death”. A shocking restatement of an explanation we so glibly use to describe the atoning sacrifice of Jesus for each and every human individual that will accept it. Thank you all for your prayers. I believe God's grace bridged the gap, and pray too that at least some of the congregation there may move to a friendship with Jesus as they work their way through the farewells to S. Maybe one day I'll post that sermon too.

(Incidentally it helped me to look at Judas in a different light too, who, by coincidence gets a starring role in the reading I've chosen for Tea Time Worship next week. Have I ever written about TTW?)

But that's the fragility. And the resilience? Well, it's just as well I had no urgent appointments in my diary this morning as at about 10am there came a mighty cry from the garden as LM managed to dislodge a full-size paving slab from where it rested against the wall... to fall right across her left foot. Cue distressed wailing, panic from GLW, application of favourite teddy-bear (George) and Dr Moose's taxi service to casualty at the local hospital. (A few months back I'd barely ever been to Maidstone Hospital, recently it seems like I'm there on a weekly basis, even if the management have revoked car parking exemptions for clergy on pastoral business!)

I can't speak highly enough of the speed we were seen with, or of the resilience of LM. Not only did she refuse to take the full dose of morphine (far better than the Calpol we miserably failed to get her to take!) and bear the obvious pain and discomfort, but the resilience of the young body (and the grace of God again, I'm sure) means that she has escaped with little more then some nasty bruising, and one would hope, an enhanced respect for heavy objects. That slab would have broken my foot/toes without the shadow of a doubt.

We are truly "fearfully and wonderfully made", and in all our moments, even when we least realise it, capable, almost without a thought, of displaying the traits and nature of our creator, who shows the ultimate fragility and resilience in the example of Jesus himself.

¶ 3:50 pm 0 comments

Wednesday 29th
Thousands of homeless people will sleep outdoors tonight.
Give 10p for every bed in your house.

¶ 8:35 am 0 comments