Elijah and the Rider of the Clouds, the Bringer of the Rain

The Circuit Overseer gave us a lovely talk Thursday night - how can I do it justice in the blog?  For one thing, I wish that Izzy, my virtual friend (is "virtual" the right word?  I mean we only know each other through the internet) could have been in the seat beside me to hear it. We were learning from the example of one of his faithful ancestors, the prophet Elijah.

The Speaker first set the scene for us - and although I have read this account many times - he brought out so many things, so much meaning.

At this time the Israelites had become divided - into the 2-tribe and the 10-tribe Kingdom.   And King Ahab was ruling over the 10 tribe kingdom.  He was not a good king, and had married Jezebel - a worshipper of Baal - who had brought the cruel practices of Baal worship right into the congregation.

Jehovah, through his prophet, is going to try and help bring the people back to their senses.   He sets it out clearly and simply at 1 Kings 18:21:  "Then E‧li′jah approached all the people and said: “How long will you be limping upon two different opinions? If Jehovah is the [true] God, go following him; but if Ba′al is, go following him.” And the people did not say a word in answer to him."

So - make up your minds.  And then, because Jehovah always makes things clear and simple, he wants us to listen, understand and obey, he empowers Elijah to demonstrate the facts of the matter.

Elijah first appears in the record when he is sent by Jehovah to announce chastisement upon Israel for their sins. His first reported words are: “As Jehovah the God of Israel before whom I do stand is living.” Elijah points out that Jehovah the living God of Israel has decreed that no rain or dew will occur for a period of years, except at Elijah’s word. This time period proves to be three years and six months. (1Ki 17:1; Jas 5:17).  And here is the point of the blog title.  Apparently Baal was known as "The Rider of the Clouds" and "The Bringer of the Rain".  Israel was worshipping "The Bringer of the Rain" instead of Jehovah - and they got no rain at Jehovah's word.

That could have told them something.   However, if you read 1 Kings 18:21-40, you will see that Jehovah went on to make it absolutely clear who the true God is.  Jehovah wants us to know the truth, it is Satan who wants to deceive us.

I hope to come back to this talk - blogwise.  And I need to keep thinking about it too.   It drew us all even closer to our Creator, I think, seeing the tender care he took of his prophet.

Talking of tender care, Captain Butterfly sacrificed a whole days photographing in the sun to take me out for lunch at Arundel.   The light was so wonderful - I hope that an Autumnal picture will appear at the head of this blog in time.  We had a sort of Colcannon, with a fried egg on top.  Properly fried, not done chef-style, i.e. it was cooked right through, which is the way I like my eggs.

I had 3 projects for the day. To get my Watchtower study done - done at Arundel, in the car while Capt.B did his photography.  There was a concert on in the restaurant, so I couldn't study there as usual, and missed out on my lovely mug of frothy coffee.  To get my reply to Kathryn finished and posted. Done. And to blog. Which I am at least doing now.

Bricks without much Straw

What to write about?  What I watched on daytime telly?  What I made us for lunch yesterday?  (Scrambled eggs on toast - and making that exhausted me and I had to go and lie down!)  Captain Butterfly nobly went out and hunted down a load of shopping and brought it back to our lair.  And he chauffered me to the meeting last night.

It is the week of the Circuit Overseer visit - so most of us in the congregation are very busy.  Not me sadly, as I can't get out.   But the first talk last night was wonderful. The theme for the week will be about the condition of our figurative heart - as Jehovah is a reader of hearts and what he reads there is so important to him - and to us.

We were reminded of David's and Solomon's prayers for a pure heart, and an obedient heart.

Our problems all started from that one act of disobedience when our first parents decided they did not want to follow Jehovah's standards of good and bad, but set their own - be "like God".  In doing so, they cut themselves and us (their unborn children) off from their Source of life - and of course, they left the law of loving-kindness.

Its a damp grey November day this morning - hard to tell where grey-blue Channel meets grey-blue sky. Its very lovely though - a jewel of a planet.

Sunday Morning, and the bright Morning Star

Both knees seem to be getting worse at the moment - I hope its just that the bad knee - sorry "unoperated" knee (the physios were very insistent on not using the words "good" and "bad" -which is interesting in a sort of Newspeak way) - is pulling the other knee down, as it gets worse and worse.

I can't make it to the Meeting this morning as my Chauffeur has gone off treasure-hunting - he left early, with sandwiches.   Someone would give me a lift if I asked, but I am limited in the cars I can manage to get in and out of at the moment, so I will listen in on the phone link.   I told Maggie and Audrey - my fellow denizens of Old Crocks Corner  - not to expect me in person, but that I would be hearing their answers.

We had a lovely supper at Jacks last night - Thai chicken curry, hot mince pies with cream (yoghurt for me), and a nice cheeseboard (including a goats cheese for me).   We left quite early though as I was in a lot of pain and needed to lie down.

Every day there is something so terrible on the news. Apparently a disabled grandmother was walking home from the shops when she was set on by a gang of feral youngsters who verbally abused her (pretty much telling her she was a "useless mouth" - if they had had the vocab), beat her and kicked her in the head.  She is now terrified to go out.  The shape of things to come...

But, as we are trying to tell you as we go house to house, this is the darkest hour before the dawn. And a wonderful dawn it is going to be - right here on the earth.

 “Consequently we have the prophetic word made more sure; and you are doing well in paying attention to it as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until day dawns and a daystar rises, in your hearts. For you know this first, that no prophecy of Scripture springs from any private interpretation. For prophecy was at no time brought by man’s will, but men spoke from God as they were borne along by holy spirit.” (2 Peter 1:19-21)

Who or what is the “daystar”? The word “daystar” occurs just once in the Bible, and it is similar in meaning to “morning star.” Revelation 22:16* calls Jesus Christ “the bright morning star.” At certain seasons of the year, such stars are the last ones to rise on the eastern horizon. They rise just before the sun appears, and they thus herald the dawn of a new day. Peter used the word “daystar” to refer to Jesus after He received Kingdom power. At that time, Jesus rose in all the universe, including our earth! As the Messianic Daystar, he heralds the dawning of a new day, or era, for obedient mankind.

*Revelation 22:16:  ‘I, Jesus, sent my angel to bear witness to you people of these things for the congregations. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright morning star.’”

Adrift

Either there is a very large ship on the far horizon, or the Isle of Wight has come loose and is drifting down the Channel. I suppose I will find out on the lunchtime news.  For the first time in a year of being housebound, I am feeling a little stir-crazy. Does this mean I am starting to get better?

The Captain would have taken me to Arundel for lunch to alleviate my symptoms, but its the meeting at the Hall tonight, and I know I can only manage one outing a day.

We got the distressing news last night that one of my brothers-in-law has been rushed to hospital with a suspected stroke. Hopefully he will be out of hospital and back home today.

How did we all get so old?    Only we we aren't that old.   Is seventy or eighty years enough time in this lovely world, this awe-inspiring universe?  Our lives are tragically short at the moment. And every generation has gone through this terrible decline.

What I want for all of us is expressed perfectly in Psalm 37 (and please note it says "the righteous", not "the self-righteous".  The thought of living for ever on an earth full of the self-righteous... shudder...):

"The righteous themselves will possess the earth, And they will reside forever upon it."

"And just a little while longer, and the wicked one will be no more; And you will certainly give attention to his place, and he will not be.  But the meek ones themselves will possess the earth, And they will indeed find their exquisite delight in the abundance of peace. "

Our exquisite delight in the abundance of peace.  Its not only that there will be no more war - a miracle in itself- there won't even be an unkind word or unkind thought then.

After all, where do hatreds and wars come from?

I am hoping a picture of a small fishing boat, surrounded by birds, will arrive at  the head of this blog in time.  It appeared close to shore sometime after the Isle of Wight (or whatever it was) had sailed out of view. I am just emailing Captain B to put it on his To-do list, after he has finished being so grimly busy with some paperwork.

Its all ended in tears

The climb of Annapurna, I mean.  And I thought it wouldn't, as I knew that, amazingly, no-one was killed on this climb. But the two who reached the summit - Herzog and Lachenal - lost their fingers and toes to frostbite.  And had harrowing weeks of being carried back, in terrible pain, over rough terrain, with the medic amputating bits of them, without anaesthetic, as they went.

Can it be worth it?  Even for a first climb?

Lachenal did try to get them to turn back before they got to the Summit, which is clearly what they should have done. But Herzog would not. And Lachenal would not leave him. Then Herzog lingered on the Summit, thinking beautiful thoughts - though Lachenal kept urging him to go. Though I think frostbite was inevitable once they hadn't turned back when they should.

I am looking forward to reading another view of this climb (I have the book in my hospital stash).  I am guessing from what I have read so far that Herzog found it worthwhile, but Lachenal did not.

An amazing achievement though - and to come back without leaving anyone dead on the mountain is quite something with a mountain like Annapurna.

I am in the middle of a painful arthritis flare-up and have had to return to my zimmer frame.I can't even make Col's sandwiches today.

Toiling up Annapurna

This time with the very first expedition to get up there - the Maurice Herzog one.  In fact, the first climbing book I ever read (in Readers Digest form) was his account of the expedition.  I don't think that, as a child, I understood a lot of it, but found it fascinating.

So interesting to be reading it again.  At the moment its all a little bit RumDoodle, as we can't actually find Annapurna. We are setting off in what we hope is the right direction on the next page.  How can something so big be so hard to find?

Explorers are amazing and impressive - and so completely different from homebody me.  Still as long as they don't mind towing my couch along behind them.

Col chauffered me to the meeting today.  Wonderful wonderful teaching as ever, though I had a bit of ordeal with my first answer as neither mike seemed to be working...  one minute I had to shout, the next speak softly. By the time we got it fixed, I had pretty much forgotten what I had wanted to say.

My Talk

This was my talk in the Ministry School last night. David kindly put me in the small school, which, as I sit at the back, is an easy hop without crutches, and involves neither step nor slope (as the main platform does).

I was especially nervous about this. I would have written it differently had I known from that start that Natasha was to be my householder. I would have said less myself, and given her more to say, as she is confident in the school.  However, we did it. And David was very kind about it. And Carol helped me there and back from my seat.

HOW CAN WE SHOW THAT WE HAVE "THE WISDOM FROM ABOVE"?

James 3:17,18

Study No 19.: Use of Bible encouraged

Setting 3:  Making the first return visit on someone who showed interest

Sue:  Hello Natasha, its good to see you again, and thanks  for asking me in.  Do you remember  the question you asked me when we talked on your doorstep last week.

N:  Yes, I do remember asking you how Bible teaching can help us, as it's such an old-fashioned book.  We live in a very different world nowadays.

Sue:  And I have been thinking how best to answer that because, yes, if the Bible is a book  written by men then it would certainly be out of date by now.  But I want you to look at this claim it makes - you don't have a Bible do you - so would you read it from my Bible.

N:   (2 Timothy 3:16-17)   "All Scripture is inspired of God and beneficial for teaching, for reproving, for setting things straight, for disciplining in righteousness, that the man of God may be fully competent, completely equipped for every good work."    

Sue:  Now that is quite a claim isn't it.  All Scripture is inspired by God and it completely equips us for every good work.  So, if that claim is true, then the Bible contains advice from our Creator, Jehovah, the very source of wisdom.  So I thought we might look together at these verse (James 3:17,18):  "But the wisdom from above is first of all chaste, then peaceable, reasonable, ready to obey, full of mercy and good fruits, not making partial distinctions, not hypocritical.  Moreover, the fruit of righteousness has its seed sown under peaceful conditions for those who are making peace." The Bible teaches us to be chaste, to be peaceable, to be reasonable, to be full of good fruits, to be impartial, not to be prejudiced.  And aren't they all qualities that the world needs right now?

N:  Certainly, but how can the Bible teach us to be like that?

Sue:  To be chaste really means to be wise from the heart, that is to have taken Jehovah's standards of good and bad into our heart and to be doing our best to act on them.  I think Proverbs 3:7 sums it up quite well.  Could you read it for us?

N: (Reads Proverbs 3:7):"Do not become wise in your own eyes. Fear Jehovah and turn away from bad."

Sue:  Do you see the point being made there.  Whose moral standards, whose wisdom, should we follow?

N:  Well, its saying Jehovah's - and not to trust in our own wisdom.

Sue: That is exactly the point. The wisdom from above.  That is why we need to study the Bible to find out what God's standards are.    And to give you an example, we talked of the wisdom from above being impartial - it does not make partial distinctions.  Have you ever thought how Bible teaching could help us to be impartial?   For example, it tells us this:  (reads Acts 17: 26)  "And he made out of one man every nation of men, to dwell upon the entire surface of the earth, and he decreed the appointed times and the set limits of the dwelling of men". He made out of one man every nation of men. We are all the children of Adam.  Doesn't it follow then that we are all brothers and sisters, that we should have been one united loving family.

N:  Yes, if that's true.

Sue:  But think how the world and its wisdom has got us all divided up by race, by nationality, by religion, by social class, in so many ways.  Isn't it this clear Bible teaching about our origins that can counteract that?  For example, when we go door to door with the Bible message, we go to every door. We don't target some people, and leave others out. Godly wisdom teaches us that everybody needs to hear the Bible's message.  And what about peacefulness?  Do you think that religions are known for being peaceful?

N.  Not really, to be honest.  I think religion is often the cause of wars.

Sue:  Yes, that is sadly true.  But isn't that because, whatever those religions may claim, they are not teaching or following Godly wisdom.  Jehovah tells us to be "no part" of the world, to take no part in its divisive wars and politics. And, importantly, this peaceableness should start within our family and within the congregation family too.   God's wisdom is said to be "full of mercy", so we are taught to be patient with each other, being slow to take offence, and quick to forgive.  And if we are like that, aren't we showing that we are paying attention to our Creator?

N.  Yes, if that is really what the Bible teaches, then I can see why you feel we need to hear what it says.  Marriages don't seem to last these days.  I think I'd be scared to even think of getting married, as it seems impossible to make them last.

Sue. Yes, that is so true.  And just to show you how we can be helped right now by learning  "the wisdom from above", could I call by next week and bring you a small publication that highlights all Jehovah's advice for a happy family life?  He is, after all, the Maker of marriage.  I could bring you a Bible too.

N.  Yes, do.  I am usually at home in the mornings. 

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News from the Philippines

Thankfully, Clody and family are well. He emailed me today. But here is some sad news from the internet (various places):

"Sadly, 32 of our brothers & sisters from Tacloban City (the worst-hit place) are confirmed dead from super typhoon Haiyan, many are still missing and 1 Kingdom Hall destroyed".

" Communication is very difficult as power lines and cell sites are down. The circuit overseers are visiting the brothers and local elders are caring for their sheep. Tomorrow a brother from the Branch Committee will go and visit the Taclooban area to see what needs to be done."

"An as if the disaster last month was not enough, then came the super typhoon badly hitting Central Visayas that brought untold deaths and destruction especially in the Samar and Leyte provinces facing the Pacific Ocean. The people were warned and they were ready for the strong wind but were unprepared for the storm surge creating waves 10 to 15 feet high, This is first time that people here in the Philippines experienced that problem and those living by the seashore suffered the worst tragedy.... Sad to say that 26 brothers and sisters died in Leyte not to speak about their houses destroyed. Some escaped to higher grounds 3 days before the super typhoon had first land touchdown in Eastern Samar and Tacloban City in Leyte.
Now the branch organized 5 truckloads of relief** goods to the distributed in Samar and Leyte but we do not how long it will take to reach the affected areas. Some of the roads have yet to be cleared due to debris like fallen trees blocking the highways

We all hope and pray that our brothers and sisters there (and all who have died) are held safe in "the everlasting arms" until the time comes for them to wake from the dreamless sleep of death. And we must pray that the relief gets through.  There seems little infrastructure left in the places hit by the storm.  

And when they do wake, the world will be coming back into a perfect balance once again, as the Kingdom of God - the heavenly government for whose coming Jesus taught us to pray - will be in charge. And we will be ruled by the law of loving kindness - and awed by the power of nature, but no longer afraid of it.

Today - as this is supposed to be my diary- what did I do?  Three loads of washing - some tidying and dusting - and my studies, out on the balcony in the Autumn sun.   Captain Butterfly and I plan to watch the last episode of Poirot tonight - the very last as (spoiler alert), he dies.

Audrey rang about the calendars and to ask me if I had seen the sunset last night.  I hadn't as I had retired to a darkened bedroom with the worst headache of my life.  Don't often get them these days either.   However, the Captain just told me he photographed it, so I might ask for a photo for this blog.

Its an interesting, and lovely, sunset over the Channel tonight.  Bands and bands of clouds being edged with pink, and a calm blue Channel underneath.

The books begin to arrive

What have I been doing - to feel so exhausted?  I think the answer is "not sleeping well".

We had a brother down from Bethel who gave us a special talk on Saturday night, followed by sandwiches, tea and cakes.   Col chauffered me there and back, but wouldn't come.   The talk "Friends and Followers" was angled to make us think about what we read in the Bible - about how extraordinary Jesus' life was. We read through the Inspired Scriptures constantly, so it is easy to become so familiar with them that we forget that.

I didn't make it to the meeting on Sunday, but I did listen in on the telephone lines.  I have just emailed a brother in the Philippines, hoping to find out he and his family are OK, after the recent disaster. The worst tropical storm in recorded history apparently!  JW.org tells me that the brothers are already there, helping.

Linda came over Sunday afternoon for tea, cakes, and a chat.   I wasn't able to get to the morning meeting, but listened in on the phone.  The little bit of walking about - on crutches - that I did at the Hall on Saturday night seemed to cripple me.  I woke up hardly able to move.

The books for my next operation and convalescence have begun to arrive and are being stored, tantalisingly, at the bottom of my wardrobe.  A couple of Gerda Charles - a marvelous writer, long out of print.   And three climbing books, with, hopefully, more to come. I can't now remember what I ordered.  I want to go and read them all now now now. But I mustn't. If I remember it rightly, the first two weeks I am back, I can't do anything, beyond get myself in and out of bed, and to the loo, so I need them then.

I will need to be whisked up to the top of Annapurna, or back in time with Gerda Charles, who evokes her life in Jewish lower-middle class, provincial England, in the first half of the last century in magical words. There is so much bad writing about nowadays, that the good shines like a beacon.  And good writing can take you away from the pain too.

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The Schemes of Mice and Men...

Robert Burns would have been able to say "I told you so" last night - and probably in a wonderful poetic way too - as our schemes for supper went "agley".  Jackie came for supper, and we had planned to order a takeaway from the newly vamped Indian restaurant round the corner.   But, we couldn't get through to them on the phone. They were either engaged, or not answering.

So we gave up and went back to our usual "Lemon Grass".   We got straight through - and the order arrived at our door 20 minutes later.  And the food was excellent as always.  The restaurant is run by Thais, and the delivery men seem to be Eastern European - usually Polish I think. And it all works with charm and efficiency.

One time they were deeply apologetic because their delivery van had broken down, so we went up to collect it.  Those were my glory days when I could drive and walk.   And when I made my little joke about how they should get a Tuk-Tuk, they laughed a lot (even though they had probably heard it 50 times that evening).

As I said, charm and efficiency.  And, of course, tasty Thai food.  I think we will be faithful to them, takeaway wise, in future.

I actually slept the night through, but it wasn't all that relaxing as I dreamt we were fleeing from a tsunami.  Col was on a beach, on his mobile phone, with his back to the sea, and the sea began to recede and we were shouting "Run, a tsunami is coming."  We took refuge in a tower, in a completely flat landscape, and...

Once again, I wonder why I do this to myself.

The Search for a Householder

Jay rang to say she couldn't make it next Thursday so I had to search round at the meeting last night to find a householder - and Gay's daughter kindly agreed to stand in. We hope to practise it Sunday after the meeting, but I am now worrying about how I am going to get there on Sunday, as Captain B has a treasure hunt on.

We have a special talk at the Hall tomorrow evening, followed by tea and cakes.  So maybe we can get together than and practise it.  

It has been quite a fraught morning with this monster typhoon hitting the Philippines. I hope my brothers and sisters there are all safe. They have only just been through the earthquake. And we have been phoning back and forth re the son of a friend who lives there - till he managed to contact his brother and us and ask us to let his mum know they are all ok. Thank God.

Pakeezah

I couldn't sleep last night. Since my hospital stay, I seem to have lost the knack. And so I found myself watching a Bollywood movie in the early hours.  It was called Pakeezah, and means "Pure of heart".  And I loved it.  I had forgotten how much I enjoyed the Friday evening Bollywood movie when we were in Expatworld.

The heroines are so lovely and feminine. They don't, or didn't back then, have that Hollywood there-has-been-a-terrible-accident-in-an-embalming-parlour look.   And I love the dancing and singing.

There was an apple pudding recipe posted on my fb site this morning - it used six apples.  And I have six apples left from the Captain's last picking.  So I made it.  Its rather nice.

Then Captain Butterfly took me for my weekly outing to the Arundel Wetland Reserve. The light was wonderful. We lunched - him off pork, me off veggie chile - then he left me with my mug of foamy coffee and my studies while he went off to do some filming.

I found a voice from the past in my mailbox the other day, which was a lovely surprise, taking me back to the days of Nabbs.

Cyril the Lemming

The Speaker at the Hall gave us two memorable illustrations, one being Cyril the Lemming.   He described a cartoon showing the (now discredited, I think) picture of a whole herd of lemmings throwing themselves over a steep cliff. One, though, has stopped right at the edge, and is looking thoughtfully around. The caption read:  "This was when Cyril realised he was different from the other lemmings."

For the second illustration, the Speaker reminded us of the windmill gnomes that used to be on (some) peoples' front lawns. The little gnome held a windmill, and at times it would look as if his arms would turn vigorously so that he would appear to be twirling the windmill.  Of course, it was the wind turning the windmill, which then turned the arms.  He was at the mercy of every wind that blew.

The point of the illustrations is of course to remind us not to be at the mercy of every wind that blows; to be different from "the world" - and not to head right over the cliff with the crowd. So it means trusting in Jehovah with all our heart, keeping on learning his law, and sticking with it.  And swimming upstream, against the current, to the end of our lives, or to the end of this system of things - whichever comes first.
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We were also reminded of how lovely the world is, how wonderful the creation is, when we read these words from Job, when Jehovah asks:

"Where did you happen to be when I founded the earth?
Tell [me], if you do know understanding.
Who set its measurements, in case you know,
Or who stretched out upon it the measuring line?
Into what have its socket pedestals been sunk down,
Or who laid its cornerstone,
 When the morning stars joyfully cried out together,
And all the sons of God began shouting in applause?"

And of course, this, from Psalm 19:

"The heavens are declaring the glory of God;
And of the work of his hands the expanse is telling.
One day after another day causes speech to bubble forth,
And one night after another night shows forth knowledge.
There is no speech, and there are no words;
No voice on their part is being heard."

Without words, the creation tells us every day and every night of the qualities of its Grand Creator.

There was another rainbow today - we have had a cold but sunny morning, followed by intermittent rain - and wonderful big waves on the Channel.

I spent most of yesterday struggling away trying to do my talk for the Ministry School.  I don't have to deliver it till next week, but my householder, needed to see it today. Its far from brilliant, but its a subject that I think would be easier to address in a public talk, rather than a five minute dialogue.

A flock of butterfly memberships came through the letterbox yesterday, so that is Monday taken care of.

A Rainy Autumn Day

Raining yesterday, Captain Butterfly was not able to get out into the countryside and photograph things...  aargh.  Trapped indoors with a bear with a sore head.  Though I must admit it was very nice to have him here all day, working away at the next computer. And he is busy de-frosting the freezer at the moment. What a hero! He did get an outing in the afternoon as I gave the poor guy a vast shopping list.

Its overcast this morning, its been raining, and will apparently be pouring down tomorrow.  The sky is full of clouds, dark grey at the horizon and the Channel is such a pale blue its almost white. It all looks lovely.

The gallant Captain chauffered me door to door to the Kingdom Hall for the meeting last night. We - the congregations world wide - started a new study - one of the brochures:"Who is doing God's will today?", and we are going through the Christian Greek Scriptures once again, book by book.   I wish I had thought to note where I started all those years ago, as I would know how many times I have read the complete Bible.

I never read it through even once in my Catholic Convent years.  I can see why now, as had we read this:    “You must not make for yourself a carved image or a form like anything that is in the heavens above or that is on the earth underneath or that is in the waters under the earth.  You must not bow down to them nor be induced to serve them....", wouldn't our religion - the Catholicism of the Fifties (I cannot speak for the Catholicism of Now) - have come to pieces in our hands?   It was very statue-based. We prayed to That Statue for this, and to This Statue for that.

Well, I am more grateful than I know how to say that the God of Abraham sent his witnesses to my door. And feel bad that I still can't go door to door myself. Grateful I can get to the meetings though. I now manage to stand for the opening song and prayer, and for the song in the middle, but I have to stay seated for the closing song and prayer.  And when my recovery seems slow and I get depressed I must remember that before the op,  I wasn't able to stand at all during the meetings, and wasn't even able to make it for the last pre-op week.  So I need to note whatever progress I make.

As I hobbled on crutches into the Hall last night, one of my brothers said: "You are hurtling along now!"   I glowed with pride.  So watch out Usain Bolt, your gold medal reign may soon be over (as long as I can persuade the surgeon to install the kneejet engines during my next op).