This weekend

I just have to write what's happened to me this weekend. I don't think anyone will read it but it's for posterity and to keep me reminded.

This weekend was our Church weekend away. We stayed at Ashburnham in Sussex from Friday to Sunday. There were about 150 adults and 50 children there. Now, I have to admit, I can sometimes struggle in those kind of situations - having more indepth conversations than Sunday morning chat is always worthwhile but a struggle for me. So by Saturday morning, when I went on the prayer walk, I was pretty low. I petitioned God to put me in a better frame of mind, and to talk to me loud and clear (particularly as that was something I had missed lately). Nothing happened. It was a lovely walk but nothing loud and clear from God....

Have I told you our son has been diagnosed as being on the autistic spectrum? I mention this now because another thing that happened was that the organisers of the weekend had organised a young man to come along and be Daniel's one to one worker for the weekend. I was upset by this because I saw it as the church seeing Daniel as a problem that needed fixing so he didn't disturb everyone elses weekend, and they didn't tell me they had planned this.

I felt lack of peace, far away from The Lord and very tearful. I spent sometime speaking with my husband and our small group leader about it and was encouraged to pray.

Saturday continued with good teaching, fellowship and fun activities. After supper on Saturday evening, as it was a warm evening, the children's leaders set up a makeshift water slide using some plastic sheeting, buckets of water, super soaker guns and LOTS of screaming happy children. There were loads of happy children and parents standing around taking photo's, chatting and supervising, and although my 'stuff' with The Lord was largely unresolved, i was in a happier place.

And then it happened. Standing by the edge of the water slide (and comtemplating having a turn), I was knocked from behind by someone running onto the slide and misjudging it. I was quite literally knocked off my feet and landed HARD on the back of my head and neck.

I remained conscious and asked my daughter, who was just there, to 'get Daddy, I've hurt myself'. People came immediately as I was hurt, crying in pain and unable to move. My sweet friend Helen, an ex-nurse, came to comfort me. Another friend, a doctor, came to check on me. The next few minutes were spent moving me off the grass, into a wheelchair and back to our room to rest. The doctor friend gave me some painkillers and instructions to rest, while other people took carfe of our children (who were very upset).

After an hour, the doctor checked on me again and was not happy as I was still in considerable pain. She decided to call the local Emergency Dept for advice and whilst walking to the phone, prayed that she would speak to the right person. As she approached the phone, another doctor within our church who works in an ermegency dept came forward - an answer to prayer. He gave me a full neuro exam and call an ambulance. Things moved then. The 2 doctors held my neck still until the ambulance crew arrived, people came in to pray, others looked after our children, big burly men were gathered to help the crew move me to the ambulance (we were in a part of the house that was on the second floor, no lift, no was of getting a trolly up there, and no room in the room to maneouvre)

On arrival at hospital, I was x-rayed and informed that they were worried I had broken my neck as there was a query over the x-rays. I was at complete peace. OK Lord, you have it all in hand and it will be OK. I was sent for an MRI scan.

During the time at hospital, lots of things happened that caused Tony and I to think that they were genuinely concerned I had broken my neck. I won't share it all here.

Anyway, the results came back that I have whiplash but NOT a broken neck. Thank you Father God!

Today, although I am extremely sore and walking like an old lady, I am thanking God that he was in every part of this:

For the people that were there - doctors, nurses, people who my children know and who loved on our children shen this went on, for the people who followed the ambulance in their car to support Tony, for the wheelchair that miraculously was right there (no one know where it came from), for the friend to who God spoke the words 'Debs is in trouble' and was obedient to that call (but wasn't at the scene so knew nothing about it), the people who prayed through the night for Tony and for me, for witness to ambulance crew in particular, for the continued outpouring of love by our church family on Sunday when I was able to carefully and gingerly return to Ashburnham, for God speaking to me throughout that time and assuring me of His presence and peace, for my husband, who also felt supernatural peace when he's not normally the best person in a crisis... the list goes on, and on, and on. For the organisers blessing us with the man to care for Daniel - they were blessing us by doing this, not implying he was going to be a problem. For blessing us with a much nicer room than others had :-) and for the opportunity for our church family to practice being a community, which was the focus of the weekend. So we not only had an opportunity to hear about it in scripture etc but to actually practice it and live it. That's not irony, that's Gods hand in it all.

I realise this is a long post, and I haven't written down every tiny detail. But today, aside from feeling sore and a bit fragile, I am extremely thankful and feel blessed beyond measure for The Lords grace and favour and the people he put in my life to show me His love for me this weekend.

Amen, Amen, Amen.