God is to the universe
as the sun is to us.
Thursday, 10 October 2019
Saturday, 5 October 2019
About being seriosly ill in hospital
This post was written on 25.2.17 and has lain in draft ever since. I've read it through and think it's more or less ok to post, so better late than never! Hopefully, it might be food for thought for others who find themselves in similar situations.
In the early hours of Sunday, 5th Feb, 2017, having had an excruciating pain under my right ribs, a 111 call and the lovely lady's call to paramedics brought me to hospital where I was found to have 'severe pneumonia', sepsis and jaundice and, what I would now call a high level of 'mental and emotional strain'.
On Wednesday afternoon, 15th Feb, I came home having had 11 days of the most amazing treatment and care from the (approximately 12) doctors, nurses and caring staff of the Royal Stoke hospital. Rather like the 'tombstone' joke (The inscription reads, "I told you I was ill), I actually was ill. It has taught me a great lesson.
On the very first day, as I lay in A and E, which was an absolutely marvellous experience for me, the so-called infamous 'trolleys' being, surprise, surprise, nothing like Tesco trolleys, but actually, perfectly comfortable padded black trolley/beds; the lovely junior doctor, Tiffany, rushing about finding test results and the like, coming back with the senior Dr, putting me in the picture, I knew that everything that had caused me this stress had to go.
In as far as it lay in my power to do so, I decided that I would never allow anything to put my health in such jeopardy again. The 'anythings' were mostly voluntary 'good works' but when body, mind, emotions and God finally get through, they tell us when enough is enough and that there comes a time when we have to sort out our priorities, and that is what I did; all that has gone.
As I lay there, thinking these thoughts, it came to me that what I've always wanted to do is write and that's what I'm now free to do. I haven't been up to it until today but here I am now, writing in the daytime and not, as usual, when I've had to snatch a late half-hour; so hopefully, this is the beginning of the rest of my life!! I wrote some things in hospital and when the energy returns, I'll try to write them as posts.
PS The effort to do as I hoped above is still a work in progress because life does get in the way of our best intentions and resolutions all the time but at least we can all keep trying.
In the early hours of Sunday, 5th Feb, 2017, having had an excruciating pain under my right ribs, a 111 call and the lovely lady's call to paramedics brought me to hospital where I was found to have 'severe pneumonia', sepsis and jaundice and, what I would now call a high level of 'mental and emotional strain'.
On Wednesday afternoon, 15th Feb, I came home having had 11 days of the most amazing treatment and care from the (approximately 12) doctors, nurses and caring staff of the Royal Stoke hospital. Rather like the 'tombstone' joke (The inscription reads, "I told you I was ill), I actually was ill. It has taught me a great lesson.
On the very first day, as I lay in A and E, which was an absolutely marvellous experience for me, the so-called infamous 'trolleys' being, surprise, surprise, nothing like Tesco trolleys, but actually, perfectly comfortable padded black trolley/beds; the lovely junior doctor, Tiffany, rushing about finding test results and the like, coming back with the senior Dr, putting me in the picture, I knew that everything that had caused me this stress had to go.
In as far as it lay in my power to do so, I decided that I would never allow anything to put my health in such jeopardy again. The 'anythings' were mostly voluntary 'good works' but when body, mind, emotions and God finally get through, they tell us when enough is enough and that there comes a time when we have to sort out our priorities, and that is what I did; all that has gone.
As I lay there, thinking these thoughts, it came to me that what I've always wanted to do is write and that's what I'm now free to do. I haven't been up to it until today but here I am now, writing in the daytime and not, as usual, when I've had to snatch a late half-hour; so hopefully, this is the beginning of the rest of my life!! I wrote some things in hospital and when the energy returns, I'll try to write them as posts.
PS The effort to do as I hoped above is still a work in progress because life does get in the way of our best intentions and resolutions all the time but at least we can all keep trying.
Friday, 20 September 2019
About a loose brick in the dam of our lives
Many years ago now, a priest gave me an analogy of how the smallest misdemeanour can gradually lead on to more and more serious errors.
Imagine a really strong dam; then imagine that someone comes along and dislodges just one brick. The water will begin to seep into the mortar and this will slowly start to crumble.
How much easier will it be then to dislodge the next brick and the next and so on! Eventually, the dam will be breached and the flood gates will be opened.
Some years ago, I remember hearing a report about a postal worker who was in debt due to a gambling habit. He began to open mail when he thought there was money inside.
The first time was probably quite scary but before long, it became a habit. Suspicions were aroused and when investigated, he was found to have hundreds of opened letters in his house and was imprisoned.
How easy it is to see this process at work. Once we step over the bounds of our own values, maybe a loss of self-respect begins to creep in and the acknowledgement of wrongdoing becomes numbed.
Thank God that there is always the possibility of redemption. For some people, this seems to come only when a crisis or catastrophe occurs.
For others, something or someone may bring into their lives an awareness of the blind alley along which they are heading.
For some, maybe this will only come in the next life - but we can always rely on the infinite mercy and justice of God to give us the opportunity to make amends and to put things right.
Personally, I believe that completely.
Imagine a really strong dam; then imagine that someone comes along and dislodges just one brick. The water will begin to seep into the mortar and this will slowly start to crumble.
How much easier will it be then to dislodge the next brick and the next and so on! Eventually, the dam will be breached and the flood gates will be opened.
Some years ago, I remember hearing a report about a postal worker who was in debt due to a gambling habit. He began to open mail when he thought there was money inside.
The first time was probably quite scary but before long, it became a habit. Suspicions were aroused and when investigated, he was found to have hundreds of opened letters in his house and was imprisoned.
How easy it is to see this process at work. Once we step over the bounds of our own values, maybe a loss of self-respect begins to creep in and the acknowledgement of wrongdoing becomes numbed.
Thank God that there is always the possibility of redemption. For some people, this seems to come only when a crisis or catastrophe occurs.
For others, something or someone may bring into their lives an awareness of the blind alley along which they are heading.
For some, maybe this will only come in the next life - but we can always rely on the infinite mercy and justice of God to give us the opportunity to make amends and to put things right.
Personally, I believe that completely.
Tuesday, 17 September 2019
About who lands up in heaven
As far as I'm concerned, any 'good' person is on the way to heaven, no matter what label the world places around his or her neck.
Goodness is akin to 'Godness' in my books, and as if you, God, wouldn't let one of your own in - unthinkable!
Goodness is akin to 'Godness' in my books, and as if you, God, wouldn't let one of your own in - unthinkable!
A prayer about living among weeds and wheat
We all live
in a world of weeds and wheat.
Help us, O God, to eat of the wheat
and avoid the weeds
as best we can.
Sunday, 15 September 2019
A prayer about the talents we have and the talents we lack
Help us each day, O Lord,
not to bemoan the talents we lack
but to give thanks for, and use, the talents we have.
not to bemoan the talents we lack
but to give thanks for, and use, the talents we have.
Saturday, 10 August 2019
About the Blessed Sacrament and the Holy Trinity
The Blessed Sacrament is not only the real presence of Jesus,
but also of the Holy Trinity,
because the Father and the Son are one.
To see Jesus is to see his Father.
because the Father and the Son are one.
To see Jesus is to see his Father.
and the Sacred Host becomes and is Jesus,
through the ever-present power of the Holy Spirit.
through the ever-present power of the Holy Spirit.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)