I have been known to be controversial in my life. Who wouldn’t be, being the mother of fourteen children and being healed of cancer.
I tend to unsettle the settled, but comfort the uncomfortable. I have confronted ministers, doctors and teachers in defence of my children or values I have.
I challenge people’s mindsets just by being alive.
I had an experience last night which demonstrated the reality of what I can do in situations, unwittingly.
As I look out my window I see the ferry pass to and fro across the channel between Portaferry and Strangford. It keeps going in fair or stormy weather. I appreciate the work the men do who keep it operating.
I was returning from visiting relatives last evening. I was the first in the queue to catch the eight pm ferry from Strangford to Portaferry. I arrived just as the ferry was docking. My children and I looked out and noticed the the ferry boat was moving from side to side and not docking. I wondered what was happening. There was no strong wind blowing and the sea was calm.
I switched off my lights which were in full beam! The boat docked. The few cars and passengers disembarked. I turned on my engine and moved forward onto the rampart and was about to park my car. Normally the drivers are waved to move forward to the front of the deck. I was waved to a stop by an irrate attendant.
He waved his finger as he berrated me for stopping the ferry docking. I didn’t understand. He added your lights were in full beam and the driver could not see to dock the ferry. “Did you not read the notice that drivers are to turn off their lights!”
I apologised profusely not knowing that I had just “rocked the boat.” I must have caused some annoyance to the ferry workers.
I was laughing about my experience when I was reflecting this morning.
That was the second time recently someone waved his finger at me.
I am adjusting to the new environment in which we now live. The narrow roads are popular with cyclists. I had a limited time to get to Belfast the other morning. I was trying to overtake a bunch of cyclists that were strung out in front of me. I took the opportunity to overtake but couldn’t make it. I probably frightened not only my passengers but all the cyclists. I had the last cyclist wave his finger at me!
Thankfully I didn’t hear what the cyclists or ferry workers said about me.
Healed of Cancer. Angela McCauley 
Brilliant Angela ..x
We all of course make mistakes Angela & it’s the Lord’s kindness to us to use others to point that out to us. I remember rushing to work late-ish one morning..on backroads of Co. Limerick. Speeding towards a narrow bend I couldn’t make it without crssing over to the other side of the road but with a string off cars coming against me I ended up instead, mounting the ditch & turning over in the car!!! Yes indeed I was praying for a safe landing & thump! the car glided across the top of the ditch & landed on it side. There was no work that day as I spent the day getting the car to the garage, by tow-truck & finding a replacement car. The following day I was heading home or to the Insurance people to transfer insurance to new (to me) car & I was stopped at the top of a long hill on the outskirts of a tiny village in Co. Limerick by a calm looking Garda who was seemed to be waiting for me! “You’ve been travelling beyond the speed limit!”. (No “but Officer” this time!) a 30mph zone …going up a steep hill!!!? I was doing 40pmh!! In the preceding years of travelling that road or in the years that followed I never ever saw that Garda (read Policeman) again, though I had definitely had heard of him. I had learned my lesson.
My son (daughter) do not despise the Lord’s discipline….The Lord disciplines those He loves as a Father disciplines his child….or words to that effect from Hebrews. Thank you Lord for your love!
Thanks Angela for a nicely written piece. xx