Stroke Recovery: Walking Outside

I have done it - I am walking outside. Only slowly, and not far, but I go every day, and as my legs get stronger, I go further. Apart from the distance, something people may not realise is that it is dangerous. What you take for granted, for me, after walking on carpet, the ground outside is very uneven. My toe catches on the slightest thing, even indoors, and I am liable to lose my balance.

Anyway, I am doing it. I have got up enough confidence, and my balance and walking have improved to the point that I decided to give it a go. I live on a street of terraced houses, so decided to count gates to measure the distance, but Michael paced it out and we think one gate is about five yards (or metres). In addition I walk from the living room to the front door and down the path to the street, which is another five yards out and five yards back again.

The first day I had no idea how far I could go, so Michael walked behind me with the wheelchair. I walked six gates before I got tired and sat down. Michael wheeled me back again and I walked into the house. Total distance about 40 yards. The second day I walked three gates out, turned round and walked three back, and into the house. Total distance 40 yards without a sit down in the middle. Not only does it make my legs ache, my arm aches from leaning on my stick. Goal - not to lean so heavily or so long.

Then I did four gates on two days, and today I did five. Distance today 60 yards. When I was in hospital learning to walk, Michael used to joke with the physiotherapists that he was going to put my name down for the Swansea 10k race (which is next Sunday as it happens). Well, by next year I might surprise him!

Thinking Thursday: Service Enables Service

You can find eternal truths in the strangest places. I have a set of science fantasy books called The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant by Stephen Donaldson. Part of the story is a similar scenario to Lord of the Rings, where a motley crew find themselves on a quest to save the land from Lord Foul. They do not consider themselves to be heroes or particularly gifted, and feel inadequate for the task ahead. Then Thomas remembers what Foamfollower the Giant once said to him: “Service enables service. Hope comes from the power and value of what is served, not from the one who serves it.”*

This struck me very forcibly when I read it. I wrote it on a card and stuck it on my dressing table mirror. It reminds me every time I see it not to try to serve God in my own strength.

When my daughter started her new job, she found the first few days very hard. There was so much to learn and the boss had very exacting standards. A lot was expected of her, and she wanted to make a good impression. The only resources she had were her existing knowledge and skills, a willingness to learn, and the ability to pick things up quickly. The boss was not prepared to make allowances - she had been employed on the understanding that she would be able to do the job.

Compare that with our situation when we become Christians and submit to serving God. We know he has great expectations of us:
“And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” (Micah 6:8)
“Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” (James 1:27)
“Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is part of it.” (1 Cor.12:27)

But if “service enables service”, what resources can a boss give to empower those who serve him? He can be patient, helpful, considerate. But if the employee cannot do the work, there is nothing he can do. With God it is very different.
“The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.” (John 6:29)
“For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” (Eph.2:10)
“In all things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us” (Rom.8:37)
“We will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, jointed and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.” (Eph.4:15,16)

Do not attempt to serve God in your own strength. He will give you the strength you need, and enable you to grow in the process. When God calls you to do something – something special or just to live your daily life as a Christian, He provides the way. With God, service enables service.

* The Second Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, Volume 3: White Gold Wielder, page 85. pub. Fontana/Collins 1983.

Thinking Thursday: Soaring, Running, Walking

Isaiah 40:31
Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not faint.

The above quote from the Bible used to puzzle me, because I have been a Christian a long time, but I don't soar very often. I have a disability, which I have mentioned elsewhere in this blog, and often feel very weary indeed. Then I read something like this in one of those daily reading books, and it comforted me greatly:

Eagles soar without any effort, being lifted on thermal currents. Sometimes we soar on the wings of the Holy Spirit.
Sometimes we cannot soar, but we can run, and God will give us the strength to not grow weary.
Sometimes things are really hard and we cannot even run. But God will uphold us if we lean on him.