Resisting the comfortable

A couple of years ago I quite badly damaged my back by trying to lift a fairly light object in an incorrect manner (bend your knees, not your back!)  I suppose it was an easy mistake to make, but boy did I pay for it over the following days.  The worst part was trying to get up the following day after a night in bed.  My back had seized up, and the pain of trying to get out of bed was excruciating.  I can’t remember how long it took me, but when I eventually got myself upright I vowed to sleep in a chair until such time as the back pain had diminished.  I think it was only 2 or 3 nights before I plucked up the courage to return to my bed, and eventually my back returned to normal.

They do say that a wise person learns by their mistakes, in which case I can’t be all that wise because I did the very same thing again last Sunday morning.  I bent over to pick something up and as I began to lift, a searing pain flashed cross my lower back.  I managed to gently hobble through the rest of the day, but once again it was getting out of bed the following morning which proved to be the big problem.  The pain wasn’t anything like as bad as on the previous occasion, but it still took me what seemed like ages to do what normally I would be able to do without a second thought.

Whilst I was lying in bed, resting my back (aided by the comfort of a hot water bottle!), I was relatively at ease and pain free.  When I made the effort to rouse myself and leave the comfort of the bed, the pain came in waves, as my spine took the pressure of bearing the weight of my upper body.  The great temptation was to stay in bed; it would certainly have made for a less painful day, and I wouldn’t have had to go through the initial agony of getting up and moving about.  But by staying in bed I would have missed out on doing things I needed to do.  Once I did get up and start moving about, the pain began to reduce.  It was only by breaking free from the temptation of the warm bed that I was able to have a relatively fruitful, if somewhat restricted, day.

This episode has reminded me of how in life we so often like to stay in the place of security and comfort.  It seems so much more attractive to stick with what we know; when the challenge comes to move out into new things, the potential pain and uncertainty of what might follow can tempt us to stay where we are.  Some years ago, John Ortberg wrote a great book called, “If You Want To Walk on Water, You’ve Got To Get Out Of The Boat.”  The title comes from a passage in Matthew’s gospel when Peter stepped out of the boat and began to walk on the water to Jesus.  Though he did eventually begin to sink (before Jesus reached out and saved him), he was the only one of the disciples who had the courage to actually step onto the water.  The others preferred the comfort of the boat.

Two things I’m going to try and do in future: 

1. If something needs lifting, remember to bend those knees!  

2. Resist the temptation to stay in the comfortable place when a challenge arises: be prepared to step out of the boat.

Legacy

The last few days have been notable for a number of "celebrity" deaths.  First came news of the death of legendary singer and musician David Bowie, aged 69.  I wasn't a particular Bowie fan, but I could appreciate some of his music.  A few days later we heard about the death of actor Alan Rickman.  I greatly admired his acting, and especially loved his portrayal of the Sheriff of Nottingham in the film Robin Hood Prince of Thieves, and Professor Snape in the Harry Potter films.  Most recently of all, it was announced that Dan Haggerty, best know for playing the lead role in 1970s film and TV series, The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams, had died, aged 74.  Each of the three men died at a relatively young age in modern terms; perhaps significantly, they all died of cancer, a disease which is no respecter of persons.

I was surprised at the vast amount of news coverage which was given to Bowie's death in particular.  It seemed like the world and their dog were rolled out to pay their tribute.  Clearly Bowie's life had a tremendous influence in various areas of the entertainment industry, but I did wonder whether the BBC really needed to devote 15+ minutes of its main news bulletin to Bowie's death, especially when such momentous world events are currently taking place.  One of the words which inevitably came up in conversation when considering the lives of those who had died was LEGACY.  What legacy do they leave behind?

When I went out early this morning I saw that the pavements on our road were covered with frost.  There were signs that one or two people had been out before me, as indicated by light footprints in the white of the frost.  Soon, however, the sun came out, the frost melted and the footprints disappeared.  Each person, by their life, leaves a legacy of one kind or another.  I find the thought really challenging: what will my legacy be?  Will it disappear as quickly as footprints on a frosty pavement, or will it be a more lasting legacy?

When someone dies, whether it be a so-called celebrity such as Bowie, Rickman or Haggerty, or whether it be a person unknown to most of the world, inevitably there will be those who make a judgement on that person's life and legacy.  Ultimately, however, human judgements don't count.  What really matters is God's perspective on our lives.

The apostle Paul, in a passage in which he addresses the reality that our life on planet earth is temporary, writes to Christians in Corinth,  'More than anything else, however, we want to please the Lord' (2 Corinthians 5:9).  I pray that pleasing God will be my desire, too, and that by pleasing him I will leave a lasting legacy of worth in God's eyes.

Through thick and thin

When a person gets well into the second half of their expected time on planet earth (and having reached the golden age of 60 last year, that I certainly am) it is, perhaps, natural to take occasional backward reflective glances on one's life.  It may be that one's achievements and failures, for example, will be the subject of analysis.  One of my achievements (and I realise that for some readers of this blog this will hardly seem much of an achievement) is that, either by example or persuasion (or both), I have encouraged all our 3 children to become lovers of football (or "soccer" as our American cousins call it!)

Caz, our eldest, supports Port Vale.  I guess that it's because when I was a Minister in the Burslem area of Stoke on Trent in the early 90s we could sometimes hear the roar of the crowd from Vale Park whenever Vale scored a goal which, admittedly, wasn't all that often - some things never change (only joking!)  Or was it because a boy Caz was quite keen on was a Vale supporter?  To give Caz her credit, she has remained loyal ever since.

Steph, our middle child (and this is my greatest success story) has followed in her father's footsteps and and become a supporter of Hull City (or "ull City" as the locals call them).  Steph and I have had some great father/daughter bonding sessions together other the years following the team, initially at the old Boothferry Park ground (the stadium became affectionately known by supporters as "Fer Ark" in its later days, due to the lack of finances for maintenance which meant that only those letters were illuminated on the large "BOOTHFERRY PARK" signage), then at the newly built KC Stadium, but perhaps most memorably of all at Wembley Stadium in the 2008 Championship Play-Off Final when Hull City beat Bristol City to gain promotion to the Premiership for the first time in their history (if you're interested, you can watch Dean Windass' stunning winning volley which sent us all into ecstasy HERE).

That leaves or son, Chris, who supports Norwich City.  Chris was born in Norwich, thus his affection for the team, though he only lived there for just over 3 years before we as a family headed off to Bristol for me to undergo my training for the Methodist ministry.  In fact, for my (slightly belated) Christmas present Chris is buying me a ticket for Norwich's forthcoming trip to the King Power Stadium to play high-flying Leicester: Canaries against Foxes!

I think that what makes me especially pleased with all 3 of my children is that they have stuck by their teams over the years through both thick and thin, and for all of us there has probably been more thin than thick.  They haven't been like some fair-weather supporters who quickly desert their team when things aren't going well.  I will at this point gloss over one of my biggest failures, in that despite 40+ years of effort, I have been dismally unsuccessful in trying to persuade my wife, Sue, that football is a game to be enjoyed.  In our courting days I took her to see the great Leeds United side of the mid-70s (trying to impress), but she spent most of the game knitting!  I absolutely believe that God still works miracles today, but if God could make Sue become a football supporter that really would surprise me!

In a strange sort of way, these thoughts have been intermingled in my mind this week with thoughts on the Methodist Covenant Service.  This is a service which Methodists (any many others) take part in each year, often at the beginning of the year.  It reminds us, firstly, of God's absolute love and commitment to us.  But secondly, it calls us to renew our covenant commitment to God, to be lived out both in good times and in bad.  The Covenant Promise, based on words of John Wesley in the 18th Century, is not to be taken lightly; it takes a brave person to say it with integrity, because when we do make the promise, we might find that God takes us at our word!

I am no longer my own but yours.

Your will, not mine, be done in all things,

  wherever you may place me,

  in all that I do

    and in all that I may endure;

  when there is work for me

    and when there is none;

  when I am troubled

    and when I am at peace.

Your will be done

  when I am valued

    and when I am disregarded;

  when I find fulfilment

    and when it is lacking;

  when I have all things

    and when I have nothing.
I willingly offer

all I have and am

  to serve you

  as and where you choose.

Glorious and blessed God,

Father, Son and Holy Spirit,

  you are mine and I am yours.

  May it be so for ever.

  Let this covenant now made on earth

  be fulfilled in heaven.  Amen.

From ‘The Methodist Worship Book’ © 1999 Trustees for Methodist Church Purposes. Please don't print these words without the relevant permission.