living in such close proximity to death had marked me. I woke up at night, sensing its heavy breathing on the back of my neck. I saw it everywhere I went: its inevitability, its steady, onward march. It will eventually take everyone I love. It will eventually take me. I paced the house. I felt anxious and afraid.
When we are overwhelmed by the contemplation of our own suffering, when the future looks black, we can know that we have a Saviour who experienced those same feelings. There is no shame in feeling that we just cannot cope. Some things are too big to bear alone.
Cat Caird has one of those rare and beautiful combinations of a burning passion for Jesus together with a gentle and generous spirit. I have the privilege of knowing her as a good friend locally, and I can vouch for the fact that she likes her coffee strong, her chocolate dark, and her books in […]
This week’s post is from Penelope Swithinbank, ordained minister and spiritual director. I love her pastoral, mothering heart, and I am honoured that she is sharing her story. Over to her: It’s been a tough time – 24 months of coping with loss, depression, stress, emotion, exhaustion. “Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome,” diagnosed the psychotherapist. I […]
Last week I heard some sad news from my extended family. My cousin had gone out to Zimbabwe for her aunt’s funeral. While she was there, she was on a boating trip. She stood up at the wrong moment, fell over the side and hit her head on the propeller. She never recovered from […]
The importance of awareness This is the first time I have marked the M.E. Awareness Week, despite having been diagnosed with it for 6 years. Before, I always thought, ‘why do people need to be aware of my illness? Isn’t that just whingeing?’ But now I see the importance. We need people to be […]
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Tanya Marlow blogs on the Bible, suffering and the messy edges of life [read more]