The sun shone in a cloudless sky yesterday afternoon; ice
crystals twinkled across the fields and along the road on which I walked. Ever
cautious, I had donned snowtrax galoshes over my hiking boots so that I wouldn’t
end up at an overcrowded A&E with a broken limb.
I was thoroughly enjoying time with God, sharing my
thoughts, my anxieties, my gratitude, my hopes. Listening for his voice in the
beauty of my surroundings. On the way back, I paused to take a picture of the
Hill of Fare, pure white against the blue sky, and share it with the family on
WhatsApp.
A few steps further on, the tight, elasticated rubber of the
snowtrax pulled it off the sole of one foot and onto the top, so I leaned drag
it back underneath. Snap! I almost heard a muscle in my chest as it strained,
or tore, or stretched too far in my exertion. Ouch.
Totally unexpected. An injury sustained in one area while I
was focused on avoiding an injury in another! And while I was engaging in a
prayer walk!
The injury I sustained is to connective tissue, to muscular
infrastructure that holds my upper body together. Every breath I take reminds
me of the injury.
And yet, God is in every breath I take. He is the air I
breathe. He holds my life together: in him I live and move and have my being.
There is no injury to my relationship with God. As I lift my
eyes to the hills and focus on where my help emanates from, I refuse to be
distracted from my pursuit of a deeper relationship with him.
One of life’s general mishaps, or a targeted attack? I know
that in life problems can arise from unexpected events. I resolve to keep my
eyes on my Lord who loves me, who got me home safely, who gave me good advice
through NHS 111, and who provides me with a loving, attentive husband who has a
fire roaring in the grate beside me.
I am profoundly grateful this morning, and praying for all
those hapless folks who are finding themselves in overcrowded hospitals today,
and all those exhausted medics and nurses doing their best to help.
Keep safe today, whether on the ice or in a dry,
fire-ravaged city. (Praying for the cessation of the Santa Ana winds sweeping
LA, and unexpected rain.) God bless us all.
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