Friday, May 15, 2015

What I have that Sean doesn't and it's not just boobs

But we've survived.

Dentist and circuit training Monday, Social Services meeting Tuesday, speaking to a women's meeting on Wednesday, and circuits and leading bible study on Thursday. Add to that unexpectedly leading Zac's on Tuesday evening, visiting uncle at home and uncle's friend (still in hospital after having cardiac arrest and a pacemaker fitted - apparently she can't hold her mobile phone on the side that has the pacemaker and she must run through security gates at airports) and you begin to get the picture. Not to mention having to keep a close eye on new Granddaughter.

Whoever said that you can take it easy when you retire?

Sean was suffering with concussion after having come between a charging rhino and a group of grey-haired missionary ladies. (No, not really but being bashed by a van door doesn't sound so exciting.) The result was that he wasn't able to lead on Tuesday so I stepped in. 

When I lead the study on Tuesdays I have something that Sean and Steve don't have and it's not just boobs. I have a 2-year-old clambering over me. As an aside, little boys seem to develop a fascination with breasts early on, be it poking them or peering down t-shirts. GrandSon2 is the same: he pokes me and giggles, 'Boobs.'

Anyway, as it was last minute Sean suggested winging it but I'm not good at that so I re-used one of the studies we've already done in our women's group. It went well with only a minor near riot. And Chrissy liked her birthday cake.

I'd forgotten I was booked to talk about Zac's on Wednesday until I received a reminder email last weekend. Fortunately I still had the notes from the last talk I gave so only needed to go through those and make some new memory cards. Unfortunately I'd not seen the TED talk about how to give an effective talk at that point or I would definitely have waved my arms around some more. One lady with an encouraging smile who laughed at the right times gave me confidence; the rest I ignored.

Then there were nine of us for the women's group on Thursday. We were considering the idea of God as father and that naturally led to discussion about our own experiences of fathers and mothers. Amazing in such a small group that there was such diversity. It's a lovely group of like-minded imperfect people. Spectacularly like-minded in fact.

At the end I prayed and said, 'because of the wonderful things you do,' then had to quickly say, 'amen' as I was about to giggle as my brain had tripped off to the Land of Oz. I apologised and said I'd been thinking of a silly song and Tamsin said, 'The Wizard of Oz?' Yes, scarily like-minded.

P.S. I thought of another thing that Sean and Steve don't have when leading bible study: people grinning at me (in a 'supportive' kind of way!) when they realise I have lost even any pretence of control.



2 comments:

Katney said...

Oh, mustn't joke about charging rhinos. My cousin was a missionary in Nigeria for thirty years. (She's nearly 100 now if she is still living. I haven't heard otherwise.) When she first went to Africa it was to replace a nun who had been killed in a jeep rhino collision.

And, BTW, didn't we warn you about retirement?

Liz Hinds said...

Yes, you did, Katney!

I think rhinos kill more people each year than any other animal. If not more they're certainly high up there.