— Midweek Meditations:
thoughts, inspiration and encouragement
from ACF community members —
Like everyone else, our family is being sick, on and off, at the moment. Today I’m the one who is feeling rough. Yes, I’m aware that I’m in a very privileged situation of generally being fit and well, of not having to live with chronic illness, of not having my livelihood threatened by becoming ill. Yet, there are times when family members and/or I are unwell, and it’s not much fun. So let me tell you a bit more about how my personal relationship with illness has changed over the years (before I’m heading back to the sofa having a nap).
Back in the day when I still worked in the hospitality industry I dragged myself to work, no matter how rough I felt. Later things got a bit better and I granted myself a little more rest, but got inwardly very grumpy when one of us got ill. My last pregnancy though has taught me to tune better in to my body’s signals and to rest much sooner than I used to. This has made a huge difference for me.
I have also learned that being ill opens some kind of sacred space. Here in my vulnerability I often feel so very close to the divine, and also to my loved ones. My heart softens and I can sense God’s spirit moving in and around me.
Or, I’m so fed up with everything that I have a good old rant at God, which is incredibly cathartic!
And when I feel too poorly to touch base with God or shout at him, I have made the experience that holding on to the faith of a godly person in my life is all I can do. And this is ok! When I’m too weak to believe, I trust that the ‘communion of saints’ carries me.
I leave you with a couple of songs by Elli Holcomb which I find incredibly soothing and strength-giving when life is rough:
Lots of love & stay healthy!
The ACF Midweek Meditations
are written by a diverse group of our church members with the intention to seek God’s fingerprints in our lives. They range from somber to humorous and are inspired by all facets of live and faith. Written by ordinary people from all walks of life, they reflect a wide range of Christian backgrounds and spiritualities.
Each week’s text portrays the individual viewpoint of its author. They might not always resonate with everyone, and are not meant to be understood as representing the Anglican Church Freiburg as a whole. Yet, as a church that is aiming to ‘Build a Community of Grace’ we seek to practice learning from and listening to one another.
We pray that these humble ponderings add a small spark of blessing to your week.
Freiburg Anglican Church 