Suffering from a perennial crook back I nevertheless had come to manage it reasonably well with a daily exercise plan and ensuring I kept reasonably fit. So, when the request came to share in the joy and excitement to attend the inauguration of the new Church in Malawi, funded by the Malawi Support Group I belonged to, it seemed natural enough to accept their invitation. All was well until just few days prior I encountered a severe back attack which only worsened on the night before I was due to depart. Going to bed early with severe nerve pain signals shooting down my legs, which ignored strong pain killers, I tossed and turned in a state of extreme anxiety wondering how I could possibly now undertake such a journey.
Somehow in in the early morning hours I must have
finally dozed off only to be awakened with what felt like a sudden jolt so that
all that was present in my mind was an unexplainable warm hearted feeling. It didn’t
last for long as the alarm intruded onto what must have been only a few seconds.
The back continued as a problem but remarkably thereafter everything turned out very well as
the warm heart of Africa carried me along in its wake.
After visiting all of the local communities and
attending the opening of the new church I had intended meeting up with my wife for
a holiday. Our plan was to rendezvous at Heathrow, hopefully at around the same
time, but presuming Anne would have a few hours wait.
Flying from Australia, my wife, on arrival at Heathrow
was to encounter a series of kind acts. Firstly from a young man who helped her
with her luggage on to the transfer bus to my terminal, to another who gave up his
seat and then in unloading her luggage at my terminal where we were to meet up.
Concurrently on arriving from South Africa, I had to
catch a driverless train (a bit unnerving) to collect my luggage from the pick-up
terminal.
As planned I had reached into my pocket to make the
call to find Anne’s location when a jolt went through my head. I looked up and there
she was walking towards me. Having recently
experienced the warm heart of Africa maybe there was need to be surprised.
4 comments:
Blessings and coincidences are all around us all the time, it seems to me. It's just that we're rarely awake to their usually subtle messages.
I'm sure your wife must be a charming lady. The story you told of her encounters on arrival at Heathrow reminded me of the time I was moving a collection to an aunt's house in Reading. The first time I wore trousers and had to carry all my own stuff; the second time I wore a dress and had help at every step along the way.
All the best
Hi Susan
You put it better than me; blessings and coincidences are all around us all the time, but we're rarely awake to their usually more subtle messages. I think I remember some of those evocative stories concerning visits to aunts and the wonderful train depictions that just popped into my head. I think there may have been a number of times you posted about those visits and so they must have left an indelible impression. Yes, my wife is a charming lady who worries and gets depressed over what state we will leave the planet for our grandchildren. So I work hard at trying to inject a bit of the more positive news that comes to hand from time to time.
Best wishes
For the past while we've watched a little magic to end the day (usually 10 minutes is sufficient). I highly recommend a bit of mystery and delight to you both. :)
empty box Penn and Teller
Ricky Jay cups and balls
card magic Lennart Green
thanks Susan - very good !!
Best wishes
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