Living Well Church
(part of the Apostolic Church of Great Britain)
The snow is nearly gone! Will we have anymore this winter? I don’t know, so I will have to rely on the weather forecasters to tell me.
When we open our curtains first thing in the morning and the ground, trees and bushes are covered in new, pure white snow it looks beautiful. When, however, we remember that we have got to drive our car to work, school or some other important engagement, the reality of the possible dangers begin to fill our minds. There is often an announcement on radio and TV from the Police “Do not go out unless you really have to” and for many of us we do “really have to”. The snow still looks beautiful, but the reality of the dangers makes it a little less attractive to us.
Of course we all think “I can drive safely, it’s everyone else who can’t”. In fact snow and ice often mean we are not totally in control of our cars, if we slip on ice at the wrong moment, however good a driver we are, even if we have learnt to cope with skidding on the skid pad at Police H.Q. should another car be beside us at that moment we probably won’t avoid that ominous sound of metal hitting metal. Our lovely car! What has happened to it? It’s damaged, of course a car is only a piece of machinery and can easily be mended or replaced, but what if someone in one of the cars as badly hurt? Cars do not feel pain, people do!! Some accident injuries can take months to heal, some never do heal completely and some even cause death.
What looked inviting and lovely has turned out not to be good for us. We thought we would be in control, but in fact we were unable to control.
There are many things in life that look inviting, attractive and our friends are involved, why shouldn’t we be? However some of these things are dangerous. I have spoken with a number of drug addicts who have told me that they were sure that they would be able to control the drug taking and would never be addicted, but that was not the case, the drugs took over control of their life. Yet prescription drugs bring healing and comfort, it is the misuse of drugs that is dangerous. Alcohol drunk in moderation, is enjoyed by many, wine with a meal, a cold beer on a hot day, champagne at a celebration, enjoyed and appreciated, but the excessive use of alcohol brings destruction to those who misuse it and to others who are often innocent bystanders.
The snow looked lovely, yet the whole of our nation was affected negatively, trains and busses not running, motorways blocked, burst water pipes and older people living alone some times afraid to use their heating in case they couldn’t pay the bill.
Can I help in these circumstances? Can you help in these circumstances? YES, we can. If we live near an older person or persons, be a good neighbour, check that they are OK, that they are warm and have the essentials of food and drink. Let’s turn the bad weather into an opportunity to be a good neighbour.
DON’T FORGET THAT SILVER LUNCHES WILL BE SERVED IN THE CHURCH IN CANTERBURY ROAD ON 11th AND 25th OF FEBRUARY 2010. ALL 55 AND OVER WELCOME – PLEASE RING CHURCH OFFICE FOR DETAILS.
CHURCH OFFICE 01304 824469
