a touch of faith

PRESS ON THE LINK ABOVE TO HEAR ONE OF THE SONGS FROM MY NEWEST ALBUM,”WORDS ON A PAGE”.

I’VE BEEN GOING THROUGH A PERIOD OF ‘MORE THAN NORMAL’ PAIN IN MY BODY. IT MIGHT HAVE STARTED IN EARNEST WHEN I TRIPPED AND FELL ON OUR HARD, WOODEN KITCHEN FLOOR.  BUT EITHER WAY IT IS CONTINUING AND I AM DOING ALL OF MY USUAL THINGS TO TRY AND HANDLE IT : READING ABOUT IT,  STRETCHING, EXERCISING,  MEDICATIONS AS NEEDED, ETC.

SO PAIN IS ON MY MIND A LOT.  WE ALL HAVE EXPERIENCED A FORM OF IT OF COURSE. PHYSICAL OR EMOTIONAL IT WILL EMBRACE US WHETHER WE WANT IT TO OR NOT.  BUT WHY IS IT HERE AT ALL? 

I’M SURE THAT THE PANDEMIC HAS BROUGHT ON MORE STRESSES THAN WE COULD HAVE EVER IMAGINED.  MONEY,  CLOSE QUARTERS,  FEAR AMONG OTHER THINGS CAN BRING IT ON AND IT CAN MANIFEST IN OUR BODIES AS PHYSICAL PAIN.

I REMEMBER READING A BOOK BY C.S. LEWIS YEARS AGO CALLED THE PROBLEM WITH PAIN.  HE SAYS IN THE CHAPTER ABOUT HUMAN PAIN…

The Christian doctrine of suffering explains, I believe, a very curious fact about the world we live in. The settled happiness and security which we all desire, God withholds from us by the very nature of the world: but joy, pleasure, and merriment, He has scattered broadcast. We are never safe, but we have plenty of fun, and some ecstasy. It is not hard to see why. The security we crave would teach us to rest our hearts in this world and oppose an obstacle to our return to God: a few moments of happy love, a landscape, a symphony, a merry meeting with our friends, a bathe or a football match, have no such tendency. Our Father refreshes us on the journey with some pleasant inns, but will not encourage us to mistake them for home.

I TRY TO REMEMBER WHEN I EXPERIENCE SUFFERING THAT I AM NOT ALONE AND THAT MY SUFFERING CAN ACTUALLY HAVE MEANING.  MY FAITH TELLS ME THAT I CAN ACTUALLY ‘OFFER UP’ MY SUFFERING FOR OTHERS.  I TRY TO REMEMBER TO DO THIS. IT ALSO TELLS ME THAT SOMEDAY THERE WILL BE AN END TO IT AND I WILL GET TO EXPERIENCE THE JOYS OF HEAVEN WHERE THERE WILL BE NO MORE SUFFERING.

AND LIKE C.S. LEWIS SAYS , THERE ARE PLENTY OF WONDERFUL THINGS TO TAKE MY MIND OFF OF THE PAIN …LIKE THE LOVE OF FAMILY AND FRIENDS,  THE PERFUME OF FRESHLY CUT GRASS AS I WALK THROUGH THE NEIGHBOURHOOD, CREATING MUSIC OR ART,  CUDDLES FROM MY GRANDCHILDREN , A RELAXING NIGHT OF WATCHING NETFLIX WITH A BOWL OF POPCORN ON MY LAP AND MY GUY BY MY SIDE…AND SO MUCH MORE! 

LIFE IS SUCH A GIFT AND I WILL LOOK TO ALL THE GOOD THINGS AROUND ME TODAY AND TRY TO NOT DWELL ON THE PAIN WITHIN TOO MUCH. 

BLESSING TO YOU!  AND MAY YOU ALSO EXPERIENCE A ‘TOUCH OF FAITH’ .