Design

 

Today's Five Minute Friday prompt is:  design.

Last weekend it finally snowed here - yay! I love snow so immediately donned my Wonder Woman wellies and waterproofs and headed out for my favourite walk up the hill near us.

I love the sound of the snow squeaking beneath my feet. It's fun to sniff up snowflakes when I breathe in and it's wonderful seeing everything covered in a soft white blanket. The world seems a more peaceful place when it's snowing, and the still whiteness brings beauty and light to the most ugly places.

As I mooched along, I marvelled at how each snowflake is unique. If I could examine each one under a microscope, I'd see amazing and flawless design.

It reminds me of sand on the beach. When the grains are examined under a powerful microscope, each one is beautifully shaped and designed - I believe each one looks like a crown. 

We cannot see these intricate designs with our naked eyes, but we can enjoy and relish the bigger picture. Our God is the most marvellous designer. In the book of Proverbs, it says that 'wisdom was beside Him as a master crafstman' - that's who my Daddy-God is: a master craftsman. 

Fix

 

Today's Five Minute Friday prompt is:  fix.

For the last three years I've been struggling with my mental health. For the last year, I've also had some physical health challenges.

I've noticed friends (and I'm very grateful for all of them) are more comfortable around physical than mental health. I understand this. I was the same - until I was diagnosed with a mental health condition myself.

I have had good support - both prayer and practical - and, as I said, I'm grateful.

But why do we often try to fix each other? Especially with my mental health, I longed for someone to just be there. Not to try and fix me or come up with a solution or tell me how things should be. I wanted someone to sit with me and share my pain and grief, to be with me in it. 

There was definitely a place for encouraging me that I will come out of this one day. But I didn't always need to hear that. What I needed more than anything was for someone to acknowledge the trauma and my distress, not to do or say anything, but just to be with me.

And I have to say I have a handful of wonderful friends who do listen and are there for me, and I'm so grateful for them. 

I think when someone is grieving or coping with past or current trauma, or similar situation, we just need to be there for them. Let's stop trying to fix what seems to be wrong and instead simply listen, hug, cook a meal or bake shortbread. Sometimes we just have spiky emotions that need to be safely expressed with someone we can trust.

Time

 

This New Year I've decided to take part in Five Minute Friday again. It's been a while but I used to join in every week. It involves writing for five minutes without pausing to edit on a given topic.

This week's topic is: time.

With the events of 2020, time has become more precious to me. So many things have changed. 

I was chatting with my practice nurse this afternoon about the fact that now if I want to do something, I do it. I try not to procrastinate. I am too aware that things can change at any moment. One day I could be well, the next not.

I'm not being morbid or negative. But I came face to face with my own mortality last year and it has made me think differently about things.

I love walking and now, if there's a side path I fancy exploring, I go down it. Before, I would have thought, 'Oh, I'd like to explore that at some point, I wonder where it goes.' 

If there's a letter to be written, I write it.

I wonder if actually, I've made life less stressful for myself? I'm now getting on and doing those things that I used to put off indefinitely but which can end up weighing on your mind.

I'm also taking time to give priority to the things I love doing like the aforesaid walking and also reading, baking and watching favourite television series like Downton and Porridge. Spending time with God has become precious rather than a chore. I really want to connect with Him and to hear Him speak to me.

Nemesis

 

Nemesis is one of my Agatha Christie favourites. Miss Marple is the sleuth so that's a winner to start with for me. But the whole story is intriguing and atmospheric with both historic murders and a new one with the potential for more. 

Miss Marple receives a letter from a firm of solicitors notifying her of the death of Mr Rafiel whom she briefly met in the Caribbean and who has a quest for justice for her. Despite minimal information, she takes up the challenge and sets off on a coach trip which leads her to key people who can help her solve the quest, including three weird sisters.

Verity Hunt who was about to married to the disreputable Michael, son of Mr Rafiel, is brutally murdered. Who did it and why? Was it Michael? Or someone else?

The characters are fascinating. The three sisters who live together in the Old Manor House provide most of the atmosphere in the book. There is a sense of danger and strangeness as well as deep sorrow about them. 

Who are Miss Cooke and Miss Barrow? Are they who they seem to be? 

And Elizabeth Temple: murdered or was it just a tragic accident?

Even the two solicitors are full of character and give a sense of the time in which the book was written.

I love this book and give it 5*.

Stories from the Streets

 

This is the inspiring account of the work of Street Pastors by Dr Luke Randall and Sue Shaw.

Stories from the Streets explains how Street Pastors started and what they do including many stories of helping vulnerable or potentially violent party-goers and the homeless. I had already heard of Street Pastors and how they hand out water, space blankets (foil blankets like those marathon runners are given), lollipops and flip-flops. I hadn't realised how valued and respected the teams are or the big difference they make in making our city centres a safer place.

The teams are linked to the CCTV headquarters in each town/city as well as to the police and other organisations. They are useful in preventing potential violent situations from escalating, crime and assaults taking place, and ensuring drunken/high party-goers get home safely. They also provide a listening ear to depressed and vulnerable people as well as signposting when appropriate to night shelters and other charities and organisations.

They are trained in first aid including CPR and are often the first people at a city centre incident on Friday and Saturday nights. They work closely with the police and ambulance service.

I didn't know that Street Pastors get intimately involved with people affected by terror attacks and national tragedies such as Grenfell. They provide on-the-ground practical support to survivors as well as a safe space for emergency responders to open up and talk about what has happened and how they feel.

Linked to Street Pastors are Rail Pastors who provide voluntary pastoral support for rail workers and suicidal individuals. There are School Pastors who do invaluable work in schools. 

Street Pastors are also helping where they can during the current COVID-19 pandemic.

Every time a team goes out, there are Prayer Pastors praying in the background. There is one funny story where taxis were needed outside a particular nightclub so the team radioed in and asked the Prayer Pastors to get praying. After a few minutes they had to radio back to ask them to stop: they had too many taxis! Prayer is a vital part of the work.

I found myself gaining a new respect for these selfless volunteers. I had no idea how integral they are to the fabric of society. No doubt we would be a poorer country without their work.

I enjoyed this book; it reminded me of volunteering with a Christian project providing practical and pastoral support to women in the sex industry. I saw firsthand some of the sights recorded in this Street Pastors book. I would happily recommend it and am planning to buy it for a friend's birthday.

The only slight criticism I have is that it became rather repetitive with similar stories from different areas. That could have been condensed and still had the same impact. But that is a very small negative for a great book and a fabulous organisation.

I am awarding this book 4* and am grateful to Instant Apostle for providing me with a complementary copy for the purpose of reviewing it. 

A Caribbean Mystery

 

I love Agatha Christie's writing and ordered some of her books with my Christmas money/vouchers. This was the first to plop onto the doormat.

I prefer Miss Marple to Hercule Poirot (sorry Poirot fans!) and I like this particular story because it leads on to one of my favourites: Nemesis.

In A Caribbean Mystery, Miss Marple's nephew has treated her to a holiday in the tropics to help her recover from pneumonia. While chatting to a fellow guest, she is intrigued by his story of a murderer which is accompanied by a snapshot from his wallet. The next day, that guest is dead. 

Miss Marple does a bit of sleuthing and ends up joining forces with Mr Rafiel, a wealthy businessman who is also there for his health. Between them they prevent another murder from taking place.

I enjoy the characters in this book. Miss Marple, obviously. But also Miss Prescott and her canon brother. The accounts of the two ladies' conversations especially when the canon is around illustrate the era perfectly. Men were always to be seen as right and to be respected as such, even if the respect was more lip service than heartfelt. It amused me.

I like this easy-read book and happily give it 4*.