Getting to University

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Tomorrow I am getting the cast off my left lower arm.

For over six weeks I have felt I am carrying around a heavy weight.

This has restricted me so much.  I have needed my husband and family’s help to dress and get washed.  This is humbling and keeps me dependant on others.  Others have had to do the cooking, shopping and housework.  Lucky me.  I have had an enforced rest.

I cannot drive so I cannot escape from the house if I wanted to.  I am learning to be patient and to ask for help.  Others in the family are learning patience as well.  It has been a good learning curve.  We are more forbearing with one another.

This accident happened at the beginning of June.  Normally my husband and I take a holiday in May, which refreshes us before the busy summer, when some of our children are back from university and our home is full again.

This year our fourteenth child, Angela, completed her secondary education and plans to go on to university in September.  We needed to be here with her to help her with university applications and to encourage her through her final A level exams.

Brendan and I have found this to be an important part of our work.  From last September Angela had to fill in forms to apply to university, write her cv, go to a formal, travel to interviews and make a video.  We have had to keep her focused when her studies became overwhelming. Then in the spring, expectation heightened as she waited to see if applications were successful.

Angela is a clever girl and had applied to do medicine at university.  In January Angela received a letter from one university to say she was unsuccessful in her application.  That was okay. There was hope that she would get accepted from the next one.

In May hopes were dashed when she got her final refusal.  Her dad and I helped keep her spirits up to focus on her final exams.  I remembered Winston Churchill’s words,  “Never, never give up”.  She could always take a year out and re apply.  I did not relish the thought of another year of ups and downs.  We prayed for her and trusted that the Lord would guide.

Many years ago when I had five children I read in Isaiah 54 v 13

“All your sons (and daughters) will be taught by the Lord, and great will be your children’s peace”.  I held on to that promise in the past for my other 13 children who have been successful to go on to third level education.  We had peace.

Angela was now able to reflect and ask herself the question, “Did she really want to do medicine”.  Were we as parents or her teachers putting expectations on her?  As we talked it became clear she did not want to do medicine!  It seemed the right thing for her to do.  Many are the plans in the mind of man but the Lord directs his path.  Getting the refusals lifted the pressure.

A few days later she received an offer from Edinburgh to do Neuroscience.  She was delighted.  She accepted this offer and hopes to go there in September if she gets suitable results.  I breathed a sigh of relief.  I felt as if I had given birth and was glad the pain was over.

Brendan, I and children are just back from a holiday in Kerry.  A friend had called to say a house was available in Kerry.  We were all in need of a holiday.  Tempers were short as pressures came when we were feeling weak.  We all crashed, slept long, ate good food, and enjoyed the sun on our bodies after a long cold winter.  I firmly believe holidays are not a luxury.  They are a necessity for body, soul and spirit to be refreshed.

My heart overflows with gratitude to God for his faithfulness to us these last thirty four years since I prayed to have a baby.  He has been with us to help us rear our fourteen children, to keep them healthy and give them good success.

Ref  New International Bible.

PRAYING FOR A CHILD

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Three weeks ago, I fell and broke my wrist.  I praise God that I do not have more serious injuries because my head hit a wall and then my body slumped onto my left arm.  My friend, who saw me fall, was in shock.  There were some angels about that day.

Brendan took me to the Accident and Emergency.  A young man who seemed quite shy, walked in and sat down beside me.  He spoke over to my husband and it turned out they knew each other.  He had a frozen shoulder and was in pain.  Jesus said, “They will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.” Mark 16 v 18.   I offered to pray for his arm to be healed.  He was happy and accepted my offer as he knew I had been healed of cancer.  He realised there was a long waiting time so he opted to come back in the morning.  A few minutes later he came back into the waiting room waving his arms and saying, “The pain has gone,” and told the other patients, “Let this woman pray for you “.  No one else took up the offer.

I had been waiting in casualty for some time so I was relieved to be called behind the magical doors where one will get the attention of the overworked doctor.  He looked at my arm and saw it was broken and sent me for an x ray.  While waiting there, a kind nurse named Angela, reassured me everything was going to be all right.  Her care and words were bringing healing to me already.  I am grateful to doctors and nurses for the courageous work they do.

I had my left lower arm in plaster and experienced some pain.  The doctor prescribed  pain killers which leave me drowsy.  Undeterred I will continue to write with one hand.  As the song goes “I get knocked down but I get up again”.

Three weeks on I attended the fracture clinic.  The doctor checked my x rays taken today and she said your bone is healing.  It looks perfect. She caught herself on and said “Perhaps I should not say that”.  But it was good for me to hear her say it because I believe that God is healing my wrist.  Sometimes people get healed quickly, other times slower. I have a lighter cast on for the next three weeks.

One morning my friend rang to sympathise with me on hearing of my broken wrist.  She was telling me about two young beautiful mothers she knew, who were abandoned by their husbands. They did not want the responsibility of being fathers.  I can understand how difficult it is to rear children with the two parents, how much more so with one parent.  I feel for these young women having to endure the rejection and abandonment and try to face the future on their own. Can these young mothers have hope?

It was when I was a young mother that I began to seek for meaning to life.  What had I got to offer my two young children for their future?  What example was I giving them?

My husband and I were young and rebellious.  We feared neither God nor man.  Those were the days of the Beatles, “All you need is love”, peace marches, riots, protests, internment, war on our doorsteps.  How could I find a pathway through all this?

Could I find a road to give to my children, to show them a way through the maze of life?

I was given a New Testament at that time.  I began to read it.  I was excited about what I read and thought, “Can this be true?”  I read that Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life”. John 14 v 6.  Is this man a head case to make these claims?  Could he show me the way to life.  I thought I would find out more about Jesus.

About that time I read in the bible that children are a gift from God. Psalm 127 v 3.  I decided to pray and ask God for the gift of a child.  God answered and I became pregnant with my third child Nora!

I began to walk along the path of life!

References are from New International Version bible.

LEARNING TO PRAY

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We met in a different home each week, maybe a farmhouse one week, a house in a posh part of town or a house in an estate another time.

I really enjoyed the hospitality, homemade goodies and coffee.

I was not long living in this area.  My relatives lived some distance away so the warmth of these ladies made me feel like they were my mother or sister, home from home.

My two children and I looked forward to Wednesday mornings.

When we met, I noticed an atmosphere of joy and peace.  Everyone was softly spoken.  It was a welcome oasis away from the hustle and bustle of daily life.

During the meeting someone would share a scripture from the bible.  We talked together about how the reading could apply to our lives. Then a lady might say that the Lord wanted her to speak into someone’s life.

How did she hear the Lord so clearly?  Who gave her authority to speak into someone else’s life.  These were some questions I had and I began to ponder about.

Thanks and requests were made to God.  Prayers were spoken aloud.  These ladies definitely believed in a god who cared about their lives and who was willing to help them in everyday matters.  They had no fear.

 I had never experienced personal prayer like this before.  In my experience any prayers that were said aloud were spoken by the minister who was always male. The words were often read from a book and not spontaneous. Praying was a private matter to the individual and definitely not to be spoken out loud. They were not afraid to pray openly.  I took courage and added my requests.  I don’t remember now all that I prayed.  One lady who attended told me later “I was the best wee evangelical she had ever heard pray”.

Perhaps one has to speak out the prayer so others can hear and agree, so the promise that if we ask anything in agreement God will answer and do for us what we ask.  How can we agree to a private prayer?

I had thought God was far away in the sky or “The Man up above who you knew was there but you did not talk to him so intimately”.  Some of these women even called him Daddy God or Abba Father.

My eyes and ears were being opened.

To be continued.

 

 

 

 

BECOME LIKE A LITTLE CHILD

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Our grandson Joseph started walking last Sunday.

He had been taking steps around the furniture. His dad or mum would walk along with him holding him gently by the arms. This reminded me of the scripture in Hosea. “I myself taught Israel how to walk, leading him along by the hand. But he doesn’t know or even care that it was I who took care of him. I led Israel along with my ropes of kindness and love.”Hosea 12 v 3.

As I watch my son hold his son by the arms I see in him God our Father’s character. We as human beings want the best for our little ones how much more does our Heavenly Father want to care for us and to teach us the best for our lives if we would only let him.

Joseph was at a family party on Sunday. Other toddlers were there having a good time playing. He watched the others kids, who were his size, and got confidence from them.  Strength came into his small legs, and he took off without any help.  Isn’t it often the case that we can do things after we see someone else do it?

There is a saying I have heard often, “Learn to stand on your own two feet”.  This statement encourages us to be independent.  But has the need to become independent gone a bit too far in our society?

I am very grateful for our free education and health care in this country.

 My children have all had the opportunity to go to university.  At school, computer skills are taught.  The young children become whizz kids on the computer, mobile phone, iPad, iPhone or iPod.  My two year old granddaughter can use her dad’s iPad to turn on her favourite programs.

Their independence gives them these skills. However children have unsupervised access to the internet and open them to the influence of other people or values.

I went to the nurse with my young daughter recently to get some injections she needed to travel to Africa. I was asked to wait outside. The doctor can advise our children without any input from us as parents.

Although my children are independent and are able to stand on their own two feet, they are still dependent on family for nurture, love, encouragement, advice.

 I said in my book that my children seem to know more than me, which has left me perplexed many times.  Mum can be done without. Am I, after spending my life rearing my children to adulthood leave them to the mercy of the state.  No! No!  My husband and I have wisdom to impart to them if they want to receive it.  I will do my part to guide my family in ways that are good for them, away from harm.

Joseph, beginning to walk reminded me of the story in Acts 3 NLT about a lame man.

5 The lame man looked at them eagerly, expecting a gift. 6 But Peter said, “I don’t have any money for you. But I’ll give you what I have. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, get up and walk!” 7 Then Peter took the lame man by the right hand and helped him up. And as he did, the man’s feet and anklebones were healed and strengthened. 8 He jumped up, stood on his feet, and began to walk! Then, walking, leaping, and praising God, he went into the Temple with them. 9 All the people saw him walking and heard him praising God. 10 When they realized he was the lame beggar they had seen so often at the Beautiful Gate, they were absolutely astounded! 11 They all rushed out to Solomon’s Colonnade, where he was holding tightly to Peter and John. Everyone stood there in awe of the wonderful thing that had happened”.  

Peter commanded the lame man to be healed in Jesus name.  Strength came into Joseph’s legs as his parents helped him up and held tightly to him.  Acts 7 v 28 says “In him we live and move and have our being”.  Daily life shows us the power of our Creator.

  3 And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5 And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.  Matthew 18 NIV

 My grandson, a little child, learnt to stand up and walk.   If you have to take a step into something new go for it today.  The Creator of the universe is with you!   I hope my writing and story will inspire you to trust God just as the lame man did.

I will continue writing about prayer another time.

 

Angela

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

LEARNING HOW TO PRAY

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The reason I have a website is to share what God has done and is doing in my life.

It was through the prayers of others for me that I was delivered from dying of cancer.

So I want to share today about how I learnt to pray.

Many people of different faiths and nations have some way they express their need for help by calling out to someone beyond themselves.

It was in my search for some power beyond myself that I read about how people got together to pray for sick people and they were healed.

That seemed to me effective results so I enquired if there was anyone in the town where I lived, who prayed together.

At that time here in Northern Ireland there was a religious war going on.

People did not agree and murdered each other.

I went along to a meeting in the home of one of the people who met to pray.

I was warmly welcomed and invited to stay.

 There were ladies from different Christian faiths, Church of Ireland, Methodist, Presbyterian and Baptist.  I was from a Catholic background.

The meeting started with some songs with words that praised and thanked God.

I was comfortable with that.

Then they talked to someone as if the person was there or they knew him very well and asked this person for help with their children or prayed for someone they knew was sick.

They finished their prayers off with the name of Jesus.

Now this was new to me.  How did they know this person so well?

Here were these ladies meeting and agreeing in prayer when there was war going on!

The reason they met together was they believed the scripture that says in Matthew 18 v 19

 “Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. 20 For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them”.

They also believed the scripture in Matthew 21 v 22

“ If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.”

 They believed these words and put them into practice.

One can read something in a book but if one does not try it out for themselves it does not become their experience.

If someone tells me about a wonderful holiday in the sun it may cause me to want that experience.

But if I am not willing to book a holiday, pay for it, overcome my fears, then I will not experience the joy of a holiday in the sun.

In the meeting there was no argument about religion, no difference of opinion.

Their focus was to be together to pray to the God they believed in.

These women loved me even though I was a stranger.

I was hooked and continued to attend every week.

 

More next time.

Angela

 

 

 

 

 

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THE MAGNOLIA TREE

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I planted a Magnolia tree outside my kitchen window some years ago.

It has now well established and brings me joy when it comes to life.

Here in Ireland it is one of the first trees of spring to produce flowers .

This year spring has been delayed five weeks according to the experts because of cold weather.

Birds were interrupted in building nests and daffodils held back their yellow trumpets till warmer days.

 It is now mid May and the garden is bursting into life with tulips and rhododrendon blossoming all at once.

 This is the first year sparrows have nested in our hedgerow.

As I look out my window and see them I am reminded of Matthew 6 v 28 when Jesus said

“Look at the birds of the air they do not sow nor reap or store away in barns and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.  Are you not much more valuable than they?

The Magnolia flowers have appeared at last and look like candles.

 They open up and seem like white doves perched on the spreading branches. Or like the fingers of a hand opening up in praise to God.

The leaves are a luminescent green and glow at dusk.

This beautiful picture develops before my eyes each year without any effort on my part.

Men get praise and awards for beautiful houses they build.

An artist is recognised for a piece of work he produces.

When we have a meal that is lovingly prepared we praise the cook!

As I see the beauty and glory of my garden I cannot but help praise God who created all this life.

I remember the words from Isaiah 61 v 11

“For as the soil makes the young plant come up and a garden causes seeds to grow, so the Sovereign Lord will make righteous and praise spring up before the nations.”

Man, if he meditates on his creator, is likened to a tree in Psalm one.

“He is like a tree planted beside streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leave does not wither.  Whatever he does prospers.”

Enjoy your garden.

Angela