There are times in life when you feel you just don’t fit in. Perhaps it’s a new job, new club, social set or even church. You begin to go quiet and then withdraw like this little guy hiding in the bushes. Other times, everything feels as comfy a fit as an old pair of slippers. […]
Now humour is a funny thing! What is humorous to one person leaves another stone cold wondering what other people are laughing at. It is both very subjective and cultural but to be truly human is to have some humour. Perhaps it is the sixth sense unique to humans who can be amused in a way that sets them apart from the rest of the animal kingdom. Whilst hyenas, monkeys and rats can sometimes be described as laughing there is no genuine evidence that it is due to humour – at best it seems to be merely physical behaviour. You may hear some people making the sound of laughter but that too can be mere physical behaviour! Take two apples, one carrot, a banana and a floppy hat – some will smile, others will give a blank stare or just see a fruit salad … best to keep that under your hat! But find the switch for any person and you might get anything from a chuckle to a gut-wrenching uncontrollable belly laugh.
Grieving the loss of a loved one is part of what it is to be human – it belongs to the ‘former things’ but it has no place in the ‘future realm’. We must not deny grief, ours or others, but we must feel it for the mystery of emotion is like the mystery of healing. If we have never grieved, we have never loved; if we have never loved, we have never truly lived. The outpouring of grief touches the very heart of God and often brings a new vulnerability to intimacy with him. Remember that darkness is as light to God for he sees everything and the darkest night is followed by the new dawn. God moves in mysterious ways.
Some people see life as a pack of cards that they are dealt by ‘The Dealer’ whilst others are less fatalistic recognising everyone faces light and shade. Whichever is closer to your position, how do you deal with pain in your life? Whether expected or not, it comes along – we all know that pain can be emotional, physical, spiritual, light, extreme, temporary or worst of all it can be permanent.
Victoria Arlen was eleven when she lost the ability to speak, eat, walk, and move. With little hope of survival, she went on to battle through and become a winning Paralympian. Here’s her take on pain: ‘The climb might be tough and challenging, but the view is worth it. There is a purpose for that pain; you just can’t always see it right away’.
