Friends
Isaiah 40:28b – 31 tells us: The Lord is the everlasting God, the creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint and strengthens the powerless. Even youths will faint and grow weary, and the young will fall exhausted; but those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.
I was reminded of these verses on Monday when I had my day off; which is rather ironic if you come to think of it. I look after my grand-daughter on Mondays and I am trying to get as much quality “granny-time” in as I can because in September, she will be going to school. We went to Jungle-mania, which is a soft play centre out in Bourne End, and then we did some cooking and baking together and played various games. By the end of the day, I was exhausted. However, I have offered to go into Wexham Park hospital two evenings a month, one Monday and one Saturday, to support young people who have been or are being admitted for self-harming, eating disorders and suicidal ideation or attempt. It is really important work and Monday was my third time of shadowing.
By 7:30 which is when I have to leave for the hospital, I was almost (but not quite) at the point of praying for a reason not to go. However, this is not how adults behave and so at the appointed time I drove to the hospital and started my session. I didn’t at the time think of these verses from Isaiah, but even so, I knew that I would be given the necessary energy to do the work, and I was. As we walked through the hospital corridors to our first ward, praying for the hospital around us and for the people we would meet, I felt my energy come back and was sustained through the two and a half hours we were there. God doesn’t often mess around with my diary (although it has been known to happen that I have suddenly had an unexpected bit of free time when I needed it) but he always gives us the strength and the grace that we need for the day.
Wherever you are, and whatever you are doing today, my prayer is that you will know his support as you do it.
God bless
Vicci