Not a good start

My prayers today go out to two special ladies.

One of my best friends just wasn't herself in Church this morning and when I asked her after the service, if everything was really Ok, she broke down and told me her Dad was very poorly. He went for a New Years walk, fell and has badly broken his upper leg/thigh. He has had surgery and it has been pinned. Unfortunately because he was in the woods, they had to get an all-terrain vehicle out to rescue him, so he was on the ground for nearly two hours. As a result, he has an infection in his leg and also a chest infection. She said he is in Intensive Care and when she spoke to him very briefly for only a minute or two he was not himself at all and very confused. He lives 'up North' from here and I know how difficult it is when you can't physically get to see your sick relative for yourself. It just adds to the anxiety and worry. I am thinking of you both and the rest of the family today.

Another friend said to me after the service today that she had been really struggling since the New Year. She like me struggles with depression and has had long periods off work. As soon as she said it, I could identify with that strange disembodied, numb, flat feeling she was experiencing, which is somehow made worse when everyone around you seems to be full of fun and hope and looking forward to a New Year. I'm sure we are not alone and there are lots who find the start of a New Year actually quite hard. When your brain doesn't work properly all you can hear is a very sarcastic voice saying "Yeah, great, bring on another crappy year, brilliant!"

But when we are all thinking straight we know that the Year doesn't have to end the way it started. (I know FM would agree). Things can change so quickly, and the sun can appear immediately as a storm stops. So I pray for these two lovely ladies, that things will improve from this moment on.

Lots of Love

Arwedd xx