Two major things have impacted me positively this week. The first is the love we have been shown. Many of you know we have been raising money for a service dog for Imogen from Service dogs Europe and money has been steadily coming in from many generous people. (If that was you, thank you soooo much!). However, my sister decided to step in. She's the sort who wouldn't necessarily stick up for herself, but would fight with all her might for family and friends. She found a new organisation called crowdwish and placed her wish, for the money to get Imogen the dog!
Crowdwish are amazing; every 24hours, the wish that is at the top of the poll they try to action in some imaginative way. Have a look at their site www.crowdwish.com to see all sorts of different wishes they have actioned. They came out of a conversation of some friends at a pub and I reckon they could start a revolution!
Over a few days the votes built up and then last week, on the 8th May, the wish won! We wondered what they would do, not expecting a huge lot, as they tend to try to grant wishes through lobbying, raising awareness etc rather than giving money, but they totally excelled themselves collecting the €700 needed to take us up to the €5000! Now we are able to start the ball rolling with the service dog! The biggest lesson for me though, wasn't the raising of the funds, but it was the overwhelming love of so many. Firstly, my sister, for making the wish, then all the people voting and finally the care and generosity of people that we have never even met raising those needed funds. We live in community for a reason. So often I find myself drawing back and being independent. I don't know where that comes from but I find it easy to withdraw and hard to accept love and help. It hit me hard this week that there is a reason we are set in families and communities. I also lead a church, this should be the best model of love in community available, but sadly so often it isn't. And it won't be until we learn both how to give love and also how to accept love, then this may happen.
I said that there were two things that hit me this week. The other also involves my sister. She has worn glasses since she was 5 and had glandular fever in her teens which meant that she has gone through bouts of ME since.
As a Christian, and as a church leader I am supposed to believe in Gods healing. I have found myself struggling though. In principle I believe, but with a husband who lost a sister to cancer in his teens, and a daughter who battles daily, I struggle. I have never witnessed a physical, no arguments healing.
Anyway, about 3 months ago, after church one day someone prayed for my sister and she woke up the next morning changed. The ME had disappeared, she had energy and was able to do things she hadn't done for years. This, to me, was great news, but still it was a very subjective healing, how could the effects of ME be measured. Maybe it is my background in science, but I do struggle with the need for the empirical. This week though had blown me away.
Since the prayer, my sister's ME seemed better, but she starting having headaches. Finally this week she went to the opticians and the news was very unexpected. It seems that her headaches are due to the fact that her eyes have returned to 20/20 vision and wearing her glasses which are no longer suitable was causing the headaches!! This piece of news has also stuck me this week.
Love and power mixed together. I want to follow that God.
