3-19pm
Last night was David’s penultimate chamber music concert. He has just ONE left of his 4 year degree. Wow. He two other performances as well and then all his prac will be done. We’re so proud of him! Last night after he had played the audience clapped and clapped and clapped! Even while they were walking off-stage there was still some applause going on! Such proud parents! I sneaked a little cell phone pic…
Today has been a good day and after a little afternoon nap, I am beginning to wake up and be all bright-eyed and bushy tailed again. I went to bed a little later than usual last night and hadn’t slept well the previous night, so had a bit of sleep debt going on. 🙂
11th September 2001 – round about this time, we were all staring in shock at the events that were unfolding in New York. I remember seeing the devastation and wondering ‘how do you recover from that?’ Recovery from any crisis takes one day at a time. One of the reasons I went to bed later last night was because I got sucked into a gripping documentary on the Iranian Hostage Crisis of 1979 to 1981 where 52 Americans were held hostage for 444 days. The hostages were often blind-folded, tied up, tortured and left in solitary confinement. Asked how they coped, they said something like, ‘if you can get through the next hour, then you can get through the next day and if you can get through the next day, then you can get through the next week.’ 444 days of uncertainty, of cruelty, of loneliness. Imagine the families back home? But that’s how you get through a crisis. One day at a time. If an hour seems too long, get through the next minute. Just take the next breath. And as you do it, God is with you. I love what I read this morning in my Quiet Time. Paul writes, “But He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.'”
I want to jump up and down when I read this verse because it is what we all want: God’s reassurance. Paul had been going through a really tough time…he was having his own personal crisis. He had a physical issue that was making his life very difficult. We don’t know the details of it, but we do know it ‘racked, buffeted and harassed him’ (as the Amplified Version says). Why? Paul concludes that as a result of it, it prevented him from becoming conceited or ‘excessively exalted.’ He begged God to take it away from him. We all know how that feels. Pleading for God to change something in our life. By the time Paul wrote this, he had better perspective. The issue was dealt with. God had not taken away the thorn in his flesh but had given him an answer concerning it. Paul adjusted his thinking, had an attitude correction, increased his faith and passed onto us God’s answer, so we too can be encouraged. The Amplified Version quotes 2 Corinthians 12:9 “He said to me, ‘My grace (favour and loving kindness and mercy) are enough for you (sufficient against any danger and to enable you to bear the trouble manfully); for my strength and power are made perfect, fulfilled & complete & show themselves most effective in your weakness.'”
What wonderful reassurance.
And so as I lived out my life today, enjoying the fresh new day, I admired and appreciated the little things, like really good foam!
…and I went to sell some advertising …
Grateful! 🙂
Have a fab evening!
God bless you!
In His Grip,
Helga xx 🙂