Happenings 28/04/22

have broken my toe.

At least, I think it is broken. I spent two hours waiting at hospital to finally be seen by a doctor who said, “It might be broken”, and who then sent me home without an x-ray. Broken toes, apparently, are one of those things that you can’t do much for, apart from strapping it and then getting really good at using crutches. And so, I am hobbling around on crutches and making pitiful noises occasionally to remind my family that, yes, it is still broken, and yes, it still hurts. To be fair, my broken toe has gotten me out of doing some chores, which I am not complaining about. The problem is that it has also excluded me from doing some fun things too! (I am currently watching my family playing soccer outside without me, forlorn dreams of being the next Lionel Messi filling my thoughts…). It is aggravating to me that a pointed verse in the Bible takes the opportunity to suddenly invade my soccer-soaked imaginings. Paul once wrote: “I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation.” Just dwell on that for a moment. Dissect it. This state of contentment was not something that came naturally to Paul … or us. It was something that he had to learn, with all of the process of time and failure and incremental improvements that this word implies. Further, he describes this contentment as a ‘secret’; it is a state that is not known by many and a learning that few will master. But at the end of this process, Paul can say that his contentment is not budged or eroded or diluted or corroded by anything that happens to him in life. Not even a broken toe! And what is the secret to the secret? Paul shows his hand, saying, “I can do all this through him who gives me strength.” Paul had come to the conviction that no matter what challenge would present itself to him in any given moment of any given day, God’s strength/power/energy would be made available to him. Not just that, this strength would be of sufficient quantity and quality to enable Paul to adequately meet every task and commitment that he faced. And truly believing meant that there was no need for worry or fear in Paul’s headspace – I mean, why would there be if he was convinced every challenge would be met? Contentment filled the vacuum left by the departing anxiety. I’m glad Paul used the word ‘learned’, because I’m still on that curve. Are you? May we grow in trust in the future grace of God … a grace greater even than the odd broken bone or two!

In Him
Murray