Keep it Simple

Sometimes life gets rather complicated and my heart cries out for escape. A few days ago I returned to my woodland walk after quite a break, and I enjoyed it so much that I determined to go as often as possible. Then stuff happened to take me away. Important and at times enjoyable stuff, but nonetheless a distraction from that which I need to do. Walking with God. Yes, I need to keep my relationship with the Lord fresh, it’s not good when I’m too busy to pray let alone wait upon him for his word. Like this morning, I rolled out of bed feeling rather bleary eyed after a poor night’s sleep, then made it downstairs to deal with the wonderfully sweet aroma of a cat litter tray, showered, dressed and ate breakfast. All in the 45 minutes I had left before leaving for my early morning church meeting. No time for personal devotions there. Should have gone to bed earlier I hear you say… but no, my nephew’s wedding reception dealt with that good idea.

And at the back of my mind I’m thinking about Jane’s mum, sitting in hospital with complete strangers and relatively few visitors. She has some sort of dementia type problem, so can’t remember the fall a few weeks ago when she broke her hip, nor the operation to repair; she has no pain, cannot find a scar and disbelieves any of that occurred. Totally confused she barely knows where she is. And all quite sad for this 98 year old who shared my home for 14 years until just before Jane died. But on top of that I’m spending time talking to my mum after my dad was readmitted to hospital a couple of days ago. He’s having tests to work out his problem, though at least they allowed him to escape for an hour or so to attend yesterday’s wedding. He’s not a well man though.

My live at home son has held down a temporary job for the past year and gets to interview for a permanent position tomorrow; which meant accommodating my very obliging sister, who offered to mock-interview and prep him over the weekend. She recently retired as a senior manager in his workplace, so isn’t that great? Then I really enjoyed a visit from my youngest daughter bearing tales of her recent visit to the Canary Islands. But the whole weekend has been rather too busy with underlying stress as well. So just not easy for me. At least I got invited out for lunch at my eldest daughter’s so that made sure of a well presented meal, after somewhat neglecting my own meal preparation recently. Yes I’ve been home alone all week whilst my son cat-sat for my travelling daughter.

Although my health continues to very slowly improve as I battle with me/cfs, and despite not having to go to work anymore, I still find this pace of life rather too much. Compared with the 60+ hours each week I once worked in my job and for the church, and that on top of my big family, it’s nothing. But whilst dealing with ill health and bereavement it’s too much. I have to prioritise the beginnings of recovery in both these areas. I have to find an escape from tension. I have to meet with God, and walking alone in the countryside is where I do that best. Simple really… if I can just make the time.

Genesis 3:8 ‘When the cool evening breezes were blowing, the man and his wife heard the Lord God walking about in the garden’ (NLT)