Cut and come Again!

It is never easy to approach the operating theatre again after so many previous visits - 30 to be precise!  There is no more lonely place on this planet than lying on a gurney outside the anesthetics area waiting to be wheeled in to begin the process. It is then that I am so glad I'm a Christian!  I recall the old gospel song 'You gotta walk that lonesome valley, you gotta walk there by yourself, and no one else can go there for you, you gotta walk there by yourself!' Very cheerful eh? Ah well, Friday is the day for the knife for me and I am really not looking forward to it, but it's got to be done.

Surgery is such a savage mercy.  In order to heal and help the surgeon must cut and cause pain.  To save life he or she must shed life's blood. To make well they must first make the patient feel worse! Who would want a job like that?

Yet in some ways this healing work mirrors the same process in the spiritual life too. God must occasionally act as a surgeon in our lives and not simply as 'the Great Physician'. Things that we count precious may have to go.  Relationships that are not helpful may need to be cut. Security that we have come to rely upon may need some re-arranging in order that we can really understand that we can't do this thing called 'life' without Him. Now that's not an easy process to bear, nor a bloodless one as Jesus found out on the cross. But it is an important one if we are to be made whole.

Thankfully, for me, this surgery is not major and is likely to be straightforward, but I will keep my eyes on the benefits ahead and try not to worry too deeply about the journey!! See you soon - I hope!

Love is... taking time to say it!

I came across this piece of writing this week and it reminded me of the times when I have found myself facing major surgery in the past, and even in the desperate situation of being seriously ill and facing my own mortality, realising that the moments we have with our loved ones are so special.  It's a shame that we waste so many opportunities to actually say how we feel. After all, communication is a really important part of keeping love alive through all the negative stuff that life can throw against us. I hope you find this helpful - and challenging too!


"If I knew it would be the last time that I'd see you fall asleep, I 

would tuck you in more tightly, and pray the Lord your soul to
keep.

If I knew it would be the last time that I saw you walk out the
door, I would give you a hug and kiss, and call you back for one
more.

If I knew it would be the last time I'd hear your voice lifted up in
praise, I would videotape each word, so I could play them back day
after day.

If I knew it would be the last time, I could spare an extra minute
or two to stop and say "I love you", instead of assuming you would
KNOW I do.

If I knew it would be the last time I would be there to share your
day, well I'm sure you'll have so many more, so I can let just this one
slip away.

For surely there's always tomorrow to make up for an oversight,
and we always get a second chance to make everything right.

There will always be another day to say our "I love you's", and
certainly there's another chance to say our "Anything I can do?"

But just in case I might be wrong, and today is alii get, I'd like to
say how much I love you and I hope we never forget.

Tomorrow is not promised to anyone, young or old alike. And
today may be the last chance you get to hold your loved one tight ...

So if you're waiting for tomorrow, why not do it today?

For if tomorrow never comes, you'll surely regret the day, that
you didn't take that extra time for a smile, a hug, or a kiss, and you
were too busy to grant someone what turned out to be their one
last wish.

So hold your loved ones close today, whisper in their ear, tell
them how much you love them and that you'll always hold them
dear.

Take time to say "I'm sorry", "please forgive me", "thank you" or
"it's okay". And if tomorrow never comes, you'll have no regrets
about today.