A legacy to the Christian world from Ignatius, that Spanish priest from the 1500s, the Examen prayer is simply a way to reflect on the day and to notice how God made his presence known to us through the day. Through the highs - the encouragements, joys and accomplishments - and through the lows - the disappointments, sorrows and perceived failures - what were the ways God came alongside us, or invited us to move towards him?
This Wednesday had a bunch of both highs and lows, so I thought I would make this post my own sort of 'ups and downs' reflection.
We'll begin with the lows:
- Tim's ancient MacBook Pro decided this was the day to give up the ghost. The screen went blank as Manu was getting into her first lesson of the day. And however much you know the moment is coming, it is never an easy thing to face the prospect of repairing or replacing such things. Especially when the normal places we would look to for help might not be open. I'm not sure what extra stresses you have encountered during the over-arching stress of the lockdown period, but this was one of those for us!
- During her break, Manu raced up the stairs looking for a snack and, deciding on avocado toast, called me to help her remove the stone from an avocado. I wasn't very focused and jabbed a sharp knife into the avo stone to flip it out of the flesh. Oops, the blade glanced off the stone and into my hand! Man, it hurt ... but there was barely any blood and it seems like I just bruised a bone under the point of the knife. I realise I came off very lightly!
- We are into hay-fever season here, and my olive pollen allergy is bugging me to the point of keeping me awake at night. The first appointment I can get at the clinic to see the consultant who can give me an immunotherapy injection is for next Tuesday: arghh!
There were some great highs too:
- After several weeks of cool, overcast or rainy weather, the sun is shining this week! Somehow, being mostly confined to the house is much easier when we can sit in a sun spot, or eat in the garden. I am so incredibly grateful for the sense of space we have from our hillside home.
- Sunny weather was a good reminder to treat the garden furniture. I do so love to see everything looking well-cared for, don't you? The necessity of maintenance teaches us a lot!
- News of our computer crash travelled fast (thanks social media) and right in the middle of trying to figure out what to do, friends offered to pitch in with a donation towards the repair or replacement. Goodness, the timing of that reminded me that God is with us (often through people) in the ups and downs of life!
- I caught a glimpse of Manu doing a weights workout - she has decided she wants to work on her abs and biceps! This reminder that we are being watched and mimicked in the large and small ways was both sobering and encouraging!
I caught sight of a phrase in a much-loved book by Douglas McKelvey: Prepare our souls for those sorrows and joys/ and celebrations and disappointments/ we will encounter , that every circumstance/ would serve only to draw us nearer to you.
May we all be drawn to be more aware of the Spirit of God accompanying us through both the highs and the lows of the mixed bag of these days!
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